Hiding
by Eckle Feckle
Summary: Syd and Vaughn, hiding from the enemy in an obscure cabin high up in the mountains, blah blah blah... Chapter 14! finally! warning - it's the crappest chapter EVER! (don't say i didn't warn you!). thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed. again? :)
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Alias is not mine. It belongs to that guy who bought the rights to it. I will give Sydney, Vaughn, and the rest of the characters back right away. Well… I might keep Vaughn for a little while longer… ;)  
  
Reviews: I have only seen one or two episodes of Alias, so any reviews would be really appreciated. Because this is one of many chapters, I really need your reviews on this. I'm writing half blind without any background knowledge of the characters. Any scrap of info would be greatly devoured. Thankyou.  
  
Category: Sydney/Vaughn Angst  
  
Thanks: To anyone who reviewed 'sparring partner'.  
  
Note: This is the first chapter of a few which I have wanted to do for a while. I will write the second part within the next week.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
  
  
Sydney wasn't ready to go home just yet. She was still exhausted from Barcelona, and wasn't in the mood to answer questions about the injuries she had sustained. The large red cut above her eyebrow was enough to arouse suspicion, but with her arm bandaged up under her coat, it would be pushing the boundaries of trust with her friends.  
  
She stood outside the airport, pulling her coat around her to protect feebly from the wind whipping up around her. There were no taxi's in sight, as she stood at the main entrance to the airport. The suitcase she had taken on the trip to Barcelona, was sitting beside her. She stared blankly at the sidewalk, waiting for the next taxi to come. Some white dots began to appear on the suitcase, as she felt droplets of water tickle her face. It had begun to snow. She looked up to the sky, the grey clouds above her were growing darker by the second. She felt a rush of air, as a taxi pulled up to the entrance of the airport. The driver opened his door, and lifted the case for Sydney. Just as she was about to enter the taxi, her mobile rang. Shifting positions, she managed to pull her mobile from the pocket of her coat.  
  
"Joey's Pizza?"  
  
Her face fell. Not right now. She was too tired to sit and listen to whatever it was the CIA had for her now. And she didn't want Vaughn to see her this way. It wasn't often that she was hurt, and she seen it as a sign of weakness. She wasn't in the habit of showing her weaknesses.  
  
"Wrong Number."  
  
It was her job. She had to go see him. In spite of herself, she smiled. Getting into the taxi, she gave the driver directions to the warehouse.  
  
*****  
  
The driver pulled up a few minutes from the warehouse. Sydney didn't want to attract a scene. The driver looked concerned, but she reassured him when she took her suitcase by the handle, and began to drag it down the street. Speeding off, the driver left Sydney alone, walking down the short route to the warehouse. The case was quite light, which Sydney was grateful for. As she neared the dark building, she noticed Vaughn's car parked inconspicuously at the side, out of sight to the passer-by. He was early, yet again. She struggled to pull her suitcase into the warehouse, dragging it through the door with one hand. It gave a loud scrape along the floor, which echoed around the dark empty building.  
  
She cursed under her breath, and sat it still. So much for 'under the cover of darkness'. Sydney heard footsteps behind her, and turned just in time to bump into Vaughn.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
She pulled back, cradling her arm.  
  
"Sorry! I was coming to help you with the suitcase. What's wrong?"  
  
Vaughn peered at her bandaged arm in the darkness. His eyes moved from her arm, to her face, and back down.  
  
"Are you ok? When did that happen?"  
  
She shrugged, and started to pull the suitcase behind her.  
  
"Sorry i made so much noise. I couldn't get it in the door."  
  
Vaughn took the case gently from her good hand, and guided her to a chair. "What happened to your arm?"  
  
Sydney just shrugged. "It's nothing. I had a fight with one of the guards at the museum in Barcelona, and he was better than i expected."  
  
Vaughn looked at her, now with more light. He noticed the cut on her forehead. "Oh. That's not what i heard." Sydney looked at him cooly. "According to Weiss, you ran into the KGB." He looked back at her just as neutrally.  
  
"Weiss wasn't there. He doesn't know what happened." She sub-consciously rubbed the bandaged arm. "It was a security guard." Vaughn simply looked at her, trying to read what she was thinking. His green eyes scrutinized her. If Sydney wasn't so intent on having nothing made out of it, she would have broken down right there. Trying not to look him straight in his eyes, she seen the manila folder sitting out on the crates. "New assignment?" Vaughn shook his head.  
  
"Not with the state you're in." Sydney's eyes went wide. "I'm not putting you out there with an arm like that. Did you get a doctor to check you over?" She shook her head. "You might be concussed from that gash on your forehead. I don't want you fainting on me." He put his hand softly on her forehead, careful not to touch the open wound. "You're burning up."  
  
"I'm not ill, Vaughn." She swatted his hand away. She was, however, blushing from his intense gaze. She couldn't help it. "Look, i came down here for an assignment, so can you just give me it?" He shook his head. "Oh for god's sake. I'm not a porcelain doll." At this, Vaughn started to laugh. He stood up, and reached for the folder.  
  
"It's not a mission." He stated simply. He looked down at the folder, keeping it shut. "When Weiss told me about your run in with the KGB, i was asked to check on you."  
  
Sydney was confused. "You never check on me. SD-6 would get suspicious, you know that." He held on to the folder tightly. "What is it, Vaughn?" He was strangely silent. "Don't look at me that way. What's wrong?" He lowered his eyes and spoke quietly.  
  
"I've been informed... been told... we, that is, the CIA, has..." He hesitated, not knowing what to say. "We've got a leak. Someone has threatened to expose your identity as the mole to SD-6." Vaughn let out a breath. "We don't know who it is." Sydney just stared at him, shocked.  
  
"What? When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me sooner, Vaughn?" She blinked, and sat back in the chair. "Does my dad know?" She closed her eyes. This was going to be a long night.  
  
"Yeah. He was briefed a few days ago." Vaughn shifted uncomfortably, waiting for her to shout.  
  
"Days ago?!? How long have you known this!" Sydney stared at Vaughn, shaking with anger. "I've just been to Barcelona with half of SD-6, and you didn't think to tell me? What the fuck did you think you were doing?" She tried to stand up, instead clutching her arm in pain. "I'm getting out of this. Where's my Dad?" Vaughn stepped forward as she stood up. "Owch." Her arm was beginning to throb painfully.  
  
"You have to sit down. You aren't well. Did a doctor check you over, or did you bandage that yourself?" Vaughn looked at her seriously. She didn't look very healthy. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were beginning to look wild. "You can't go home right now. He's likely to know that you'll be there." Sydney sat down again.  
  
"It's not me he's after…" She seen the look on his face, and closed her eyes.  
  
"Well… We have a team looking for him right now. If I was honest, Syd, I think he is after you. You have to go somewhere he's not likely to know about."  
  
"I have to go home, Vaughn! I have to make sure Francie and Will are ok." She looked around frantically. "I have to make sure they're still…" She stopped herself. Vaughn dropped to his knees in front of her. "I can't have them hurt, Vaughn. Not again. I can't go through this all again…" She covered her face with her free hand. He took it in his own, rubbing it reassuringly. Sydney couldn't look at him. He searched her face for something, he didn't know what.  
  
"Do you have somewhere you can go?" He knew her answer before she said anything. "We can't have you stay with any of the SD-6 agents, so your father and Dixon can't help. Is there anyone else?" Sydney just stared at the floor. She didn't want to put anyone else in danger.  
  
"I could go to a hotel. I don't want to stay with anyone that doesn't know. I can't believe this."  
  
"You can't stay in a hotel. You have to be somewhere that I… we can protect you. I can set up a safe house for you." He pulled out his phone. "It'll have to be as far away from SD-6 as possible. The CIA has expressed their concern over it. Where you are will be a need-to-know only."  
  
"Will you know?" She looked at him expectantly.  
  
"I have to know."  
  
"Because it's your job?"  
  
"No. So that I know where I'll be going, too." He looked down at the floor, as he dialled a number. "Hey, it's Vaughn. We're going to need one of the lesser-known safe houses." He lowered his voice, and turned his back to her. "Yeah. I don't want to leave her alone right now. Right. Don't forget to feed my dog."  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Chapter two will be up soon… Please come back! :) 


	2. Chapter Two

NOTE: Thank you to anyone who reviewed chapter one. I really appreciated all the pointers you have given me. As I said before, I haven't watched much of Alias, and I know that I will make mistakes. I really appreciate reviews that can help me out in any way. I will stalk sky one until they show reruns of Alias, until then, I have two episodes to go before the series finishes on my TV. That makes it four episodes in all! (*does happy dance*)  
  
Thanks again.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
  
  
Sydney stood just inside the entrance to the hospital, cradling her arm. It was covered with a white cast. Outside, the snow had been falling heavily. A blanket of white snow covered the entrance to the busy hospital. She watched as a janitor spread salt over the sidewalk. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a modest black car drive slowly to the entrance. It slowed down discreetly enough for her to realise it was for her.  
  
Walking to the car carefully over the snow, she opened the back door with her good hand, and slid in gently. The throbbing in her arm was getting worse, as she had refused to be given drugs to stop the pain. She had to be completely aware of what was going on. Whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not, there was someone after her. She hoped Vaughn had found a lead. What good was working for the CIA, if they can't find out who's stalking you?  
  
The driver of the car was someone Sydney had seen in the offices of the CIA before, but never really talked to. She wasn't sure if she should talk, but did so anyway. Leaning forward, she spoke quietly.  
  
"So, where are we going?"  
  
"I've to take you to the airport. You'll meet the agent assigned to you there. You' will be with him on the flight. He'll be sitting beside you." There was a long silence. "Tickets are in your case."  
  
"Ok." Sydney sat back in the seat, and closed her eyes. Everything had happened so fast. She was being carried off somewhere out of the way, while her position with SD-6 was in jeopardy. She had worked hard to ensure her own safety, and the safety of everyone else. Now someone was threatening her with exposure. She wanted to know who, and more importantly, why. She couldn't think straight, with the constant throbbing in her arm.  
  
Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep. The driver pulled into the airport a few minutes later. He left the car, and opened the trunk for her suitcase. Another Agent had packed it for her. She hadn't even visited her home since coming back from Barcelona. He lifted it from the trunk, and set it carefully down on the sidewalk beside the entrance. It was snowing heavily, and the driver was covered in snow. Sydney was still asleep, as he opened her door.  
  
"Ms. Bristow?"  
  
She stirred, but didn't open her eyes.  
  
"Ms. Bristow? We're here."  
  
He leaned over, and shook her shoulder. This time she woke. "What… Oh, sorry." Sydney stepped out the car, rubbing her eyes with one hand. "Thanks." The snow was settling softly on her hair, as she looked at the case.  
  
"No problem. Do you want me to put this on a trolley for you?" He motioned to her cast. "Is it broken?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. Hairline fracture. It's ok, I'll take it." Lifting the handle of the case, she started to wheel it away from the car. Brushing snow off his lapel, he watched her leave.  
  
"Good Luck."  
  
She smiled, and walked into the airport. Shaking the snow from her hair, she realized that she had no idea where she was going. Sydney leaned over and pulled an envelope from the side pouch on the case. Trying to lift the flap with one hand was difficult, so she sat it against the case, and tipped out the contents. Instead of there being tickets, there was one piece of white paper, with a note scribbled.  
  
*Meet at the 'I'. No need for alarm.*  
  
Sydney recognized the handwriting instantly, and turned to walk outside. The large sign at the front of the building was 'airport', and she walked to the spot just under the 'I'. She knew whom to look for. He drove up moments later, and she watched the car door open to the sleek black spider convertible, and Vaughn stepped out. He wasn't smiling, but she knew that he was glad to see her. He still wore his suit, which by now was crinkled. He hadn't been home all night.  
  
"Hey" He almost whispered, walking up to her. He tried to take the case from her hand, but she pulled it back.  
  
"Hi. The doctor says I've got a hairline fracture." He steadied her, as they stepped out on to the snow. "He also says I have a mild concussion, but that it's nothing to worry about." He placed his hand on the small of her back, as she stepped over a not-yet-salted piece of ground.  
  
"That's what you get for fighting with a K-Directorate Agent." He guided her slowly to the passenger door.  
  
"It was a security guard." Opening the door, she stepped carefully inside.  
  
"It was K-Directorate."  
  
"It was a sec…" He closed the door on her, mid-sentence. She rolled her eyes, as he stepped around the snow, to his side of the car. He put the case in the trunk, and walked to his door. Sliding slightly, he managed to steady himself by holding on to the car. The car door opened, and he slid inside.  
  
"Ok. Sorry for the change of plan. The CIA doesn't want a lot of people knowing where you're going." He started the engine.  
  
"They're doing a good job, because I don't even know where I'm going." She watched him laugh, and raised her eyebrow. "Well? Where am I going?"  
  
"Somewhere safe." Pulling out of the space on to the road, he indicated to go right.  
  
"Can't you just tell me?"  
  
"No." The traffic was quite sparse, so Vaughn sped through the lanes.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It's more fun this way." He chuckled, but stopped almost straight away.  
  
"Fun? It's not fun. It's terrible. I don't know where I'm going, why I'm going, or who I'm going with." She sat back in the seat, exasperated. No one had a clue.  
  
"I can answer the last two. You're going away because someone, we don't know who, has threatened to expose…"  
  
"I know that. I want to know why."  
  
"Because you're a double agent. People don't like double agents." He looked at her out the corner of his eye. "I don't think its anything personal to you, but there's definitely something there that we're overlooking."  
  
"Ya think?" She replied, sarcasm dripping from her words.  
  
"And you'll be going with me. I've been told to keep you out the way. Well… not out the way…" He corrected himself, as he watched her get angry. "Just safe. I've to keep you safe."  
  
"I can look after myself Vaughn. You weren't there to hold my hand any other time."  
  
"This is different. This is going in blind. We have to be very careful. I don't want you getting hurt."  
  
"I don't get hurt."  
  
He eyed her cast before he spoke again. "Of course you don't. You're made of steel."  
  
"Whatever. So how come you're with me on this? They would frown on you being with me normally." Secretly, she was glad Vaughn was with her. He was someone to talk to. She trusted him… She l… The thought stopped abruptly. She couldn't even finish it in her own head. It was over the line, even for her to think it.  
  
"Their reasoning for putting me on the case, is that I know you best out of the whole team. They know I wouldn't be the one to threaten you with exposure. They said I was too… involved. I would be the only sure bet to protect you. They… we really care about you, Sydney."  
  
Sydney looked down. "When it suits them, yes." She looked at him honestly, and asked in a small voice. "So you definitely wouldn't threaten me?"  
  
Vaughn almost crashed the car. "What?!? Ofcourse not!!!" He glanced at her, shocked. "How could you even ask me that!" He was breathing heavily. "I… I could never do that to you!" The car weaved slightly on the road, as he glanced back and forth between Sydney and the road. Sydney took a deep breath. He had given her the answer she needed.  
  
"I'm sorry… I had to ask. I have no idea what's really going on." Suddenly, a though occurred to her. "What about SD-6? When they know I'm not there…"  
  
"Your father's taken care of it. He said he would say you were ill. Don't worry. We've got everything covered…"  
  
"Yeah, everything except the actual threat."  
  
He threw her an irked look. "We're doing our best, Syd. Until we find out, you and I have to be somewhere safe. You have a broken arm. It's not as if you will be able to fight your way out of a confrontation."  
  
"I could kick your ass." She laughed.  
  
"Careful. I wouldn't be too confident if I were you." He smiled at her, a mischievous twinkle in his green eyes.  
  
She smiled back, and settled down into the seat. "Let me know when we get there." Closing her eyes, she began to snooze.  
  
"We'll get there. I promise." Vaughn reached into the back, and pulled a soft blanket out. With one hand steering, he used the other to drape it across Sydney. "Sleep tight."  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Chapter three will be up soon. Hope to see your reviews! 


	3. Chapter Three

NOTE: Thanks for the reviews. I didn't realise LA never seen snow. Can you guess I come from Scotland?!? Hehe. I will update the fist two chapters so that all the wee mistakes are fixed. Chapter four up soon. Keep coming back!  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
  
Sydney leaned over and switched down the radio, which was playing a song neither of them knew.  
  
"How come you've got such a cool car?"  
  
Vaughn chuckled. "CIA standard issue."  
  
Sydney looked shocked. "Really?"  
  
"No. Weiss hired it for me. A CIA car could lead him to us."  
  
"Liar. You wanted it to look sexy in a cool car." She laughed, and averted her eyes from his gaze. He looked at her sideways through the space in the sunglasses he had put on. They were perfect for him. The frame fitted his face perfectly, accentuating his flawless bone structure. Sydney couldn't help but watch as he drove. He was very sexy, with his dress shirt now rolled up to the sleeves, and the top buttons opened. Suddenly, it was getting very hot in the car. She began to fidget. Pressing buttons, she tried to put the air conditioner higher.  
  
"You ok?" He was reaching the top of a steep hill, with a tight bend.  
  
"It's just really hot in here…"  
  
He pressed an obscure button at the side of the door, which opened her window wide. She tried not to let her face go too red. What she wouldn't give to act cool right now. She stole a glance at him again. He was changing gear. The muscles in his arm flexed, and her mouth dropped open. Sydney stuck her head out the window and gulped fresh clean air.  
  
"What's wrong?!?"  
  
"Huh?" She pulled her head back into the car. "Nothing…" She was in mortal danger from an unknown threat, and all she could think about was how she could see definition of his chest through the shirt. Fanning herself with her good hand, she tried to calm down.  
  
"We're almost there. Five minutes."  
  
"It's Vermont."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But… It's Vermont…"  
  
"So?"  
  
"Well… nothing."  
  
"What's wrong with Vermont?"  
  
"It's just… wouldn't it be better if we were in a different country."  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"This way, we stay in the country, and they don't think to look for us here. They think we're in London."  
  
"Oh right. So where in Vermont are we going?"  
  
"Somewhere on the Adiarondak Mountain range. It's a little cabin that I know."  
  
"Oh." As an after thought, she added, "Do you take all your damsels in distress there?"  
  
"No. And you're not a damsel in distress."  
  
"I could be."  
  
"But you aren't."  
  
"But I could be…" He looked at her funnily. "So you go there often?"  
  
He paused. "I used to go with my father. It was his cabin."  
  
Sydney stopped, and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
"Is it nice?"  
  
"The cabin? Yeah." He smiled at the thought of it. "It's totally peaceful. You could lose yourself there. You'll really like it."  
  
"If you like it, then I'll like it. Are we there yet?"  
  
"Nearly."  
  
*****  
  
  
  
They pulled up outside a wooden cabin, covered in snow. It was picturesque – the kind you see in postcards. Sydney stopped to admire it.  
  
"It's beautiful…"  
  
Vaughn watched her intently, smiling when he heard her approval. He'd always loved the cabin and was happy when Sydney stood, hypnotised by the quaint charm it held.  
  
"Yes… it is."  
  
He took the cases from the trunk, while Sydney walked up the steps to the front door. She turned to see Vaughn struggle a little with the two cases, trying to find the keys in his pocket.  
  
"So the CIA doesn't know we're here?"  
  
"No…" He brushed past her, and put the key in the lock. "The source is in the CIA. They left you in my capable hands to keep you somewhere they knew nothing about. I don't want him to find you."  
  
She stopped in the doorway, and watched as he put the cases down in the hallway.  
  
"Thank you." She whispered, barely audible. He turned round to face her, a sad smile playing on his lips. "Thank you for coming with me…" Vaughn pulled off his sunglasses, showing the concern in his eyes.  
  
"It's ok, Syd. Everything will be fine."  
  
She nodded, and held back the tears that were sitting on her lids, waiting to spill. He wanted to go over and fold her into his arms, making everything go away. He wanted to take care of her, even though he knew she was more than capable of keeping herself safe. He wanted to feel needed. She smiled at him, and he knew that in some small way, he was needed. Smiling softly, he walked over to her, and took her by the hand.  
  
"Let's just get settled in first, and then we can talk about how we're going to deal with this. Ok?" She nodded, and walked into the house. Too much was going through her head, as she walked into the cabin. It was a lot larger than she thought. There was a large living room, leading off to an immaculately decorated kitchen. On her right, was a smaller corridor leading down to three doors. She guessed they would be the bedrooms.  
  
"I haven't been here for a while… Almost six years, actually. I'm glad the neighbours have kept it clean."  
  
"You have… neighbours?" The thought of having neighbours on a mountain was funny to her somehow. She started to laugh, but Vaughn looked at her seriously.  
  
"Ofcourse we have neighbours! That's why we have to act normal. Not as if we're hiding from anything."  
  
"Ok. So, what's the plan if one of your neighbours treks the eight, or ten miles to visit you after six years." She looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "I mean… we've got to expect that, haven't we. Your neighbours might come and say hello…"  
  
"They might, Sydney!!! As much as I would love to spend this time with you alone, they might actually visit, and I don't want them to be suspicious."  
  
"You… want to spend time alone?" Sydney couldn't hide the shock on her face.  
  
"Alone? Uh.. yes! How else could we discuss the threat?"  
  
"True. Ok. Can I go unpack?"  
  
"Yeah. A word of warning, though. I…I had to pack the case for you." He added quickly, his face going red. "Just in case anyone was to plant a bug." Sydney nodded.  
  
"Of course. I just hope you packed the essentials. You know, hairdryer, makeup, the lot."  
  
"Of course. I know how you never want to be left without your hairdryer…" He laughed, and rolled the case over to the door she would be sleeping behind. "This is your bedroom. Mine's just across the hall. If you need any help with anything, just holler."  
  
"Thank you." She took the case from his hand, and rolled it into the bedroom. It was beautiful. Her double bed was cream satin, and the curtains a luxurious deep red. The carpet was a thick cream colour, which rolled under her feet as she walked in. The throwover on her bed was a deep red, and her pillows were cream. It was tastefully decorated, which Sydney loved. She sat down on the bed, cradling her arm cast. It was going to be a long holiday. She just prayed the CIA worked quickly finding the threat. Not too fast, though. She wanted to enjoy the… cabin.  
  
Vaughn popped his head in her door. "What do you want for dinner? I can cook anything you want. I have lots of food."  
  
She smiled, and stood up. "Anything." He nodded his head. "Wait… you can cook?"  
  
"Yeah." His smile broadened. "Of course I can. All my damsels in distress need to eat!"  
  
  
  
** 


	4. Chapter Four

NOTE: Thanks for the reviews. Please review this chapter!  
  
CHAPTER FOUR  
  
Sydney had almost finished unpacking her things, when she smelled the inviting aroma of cooking. She turned to the wardrobe, admiring the choice of clothing Vaughn had packed for her. Not that she gave him much of a choice. Most of her clothes were for practical purposes only. It wasn't often she got to go on a shopping spree. Suddenly, something dawned on her. She hadn't unpacked any underwear. She hadn't actually seen any underwear in her case. Feeling her face flush with embarrassment, she walked slowly to the door.  
  
"Uh… Vaughn?"  
  
He popped his head around the corner. "Yeah?"  
  
"I… You packed my case, yes?" He nodded, and stepped out into the hall. "Well… erm…" The redness spread to her arms, and her face went bright red. "You didn't pack any…" Twisting her fingers, mortified, she added in a quiet voice "…underwear."  
  
"I did. It's in the side of your case. At the bottom."  
  
"Oh… ok." She walked back into the room, just as Vaughn slipped back into the kitchen. His face was redder than Sydney's. She had no idea how embarrassed he became, packing her case. He had felt like a little schoolboy, as he opened her underwear drawer. Vowing not to look too closely, he threw as much of the material into the case as possible. He thanked every god available that he was alone when he packed her things.  
  
Sydney walked slowly into the kitchen, and spotted Vaughn stirring a pot with a wooden spoon. He had changed into a pair of black jersey trousers, and a white t-shirt. "Hey." He looked up and smiled. "What are you cooking?" She leaned over, and lifted the lid of the other pot. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head. She flinched, and stood back.  
  
"Pasta. You like pasta…?" He waved the spoon around. "It's a great recipe I learned in Napoli." He took the lid from her, and stirred the pasta. "How's the arm?"  
  
"It's ok. I'm glad you packed some painkillers, though. It's still quite sore." She put her hand to her head, massaging a temple.  
  
"And it will be for quite a while, I imagine."  
  
"I guess so." She leaned over, past Vaughn, and looked into the pot. "What kind of sauce is that?"  
  
He watched her lean in front of him, and almost forgot himself. She had changed into a pair of tight blue jeans, and a black jumper. She looked completely natural, which he loved. He had never really seen her this relaxed. It made Vaughn happy to see her at ease with him. "It's a secret. I can't disclose my classified ingredients."  
  
"A secret? Better be good!" He winked at her, and almost made her melt. She pulled back, and walked to the living room. He watched as she settled down into a large sofa, pulling her legs around her. "What do we do until they find whoever is doing this?"  
  
"We wait. We can't do anything from here. The best thing we can do for everyone is lay low, and make sure no-one finds out we're here." He lifted plates from a cupboard, and began to dish out the pasta. "Weiss has his best guys out there working on it right now. We'll find him, Syd. He can't hide for long."  
  
Sydney knew he was talking. She could see his mouth move. But she couldn't hear a sound he was uttering. There was a thundering in her ears. He was putting the finishing touches to the dishes, as Sydney stood from the sofa, and walked to the dining table. He had set it out perfectly. She trailed her free fingers across the lace cover, watching Vaughn as he carried the two plates to the table. She absent-mindedly began to scratch the cast.  
  
She sat down across from him, and lifted her spoon. "This cast is itchy. It's really itchy." She wanted to scratch it so badly, but she couldn't get past the cast. "How long do I have to keep this thing on?"  
  
"Well…" Vaughn lifted his spoon. "If it's a hairline fracture, I suppose a few weeks at least. Don't scratch it."  
  
"Easy for you to say. You don't look like you've broken a bone anywhere. I bet you've got a perfect body…" She stopped, face filling with a deep red flush. "I mean…"  
  
He looked at her over the top of his spoon, eyes wide. After an awkward pause, he began eating again. Once he had finished a mouthful, he looked up. "I've had a lot of broken bones, actually."  
  
"Oh. Ok." She tried not to look at him, instead staring intently at the plate in front of her. "This really is good pasta. Where did you say it came from? I know a great Italian restaurant not far from my house. It does great pasta." She knew she was rambling, but somehow she couldn't stop herself. Vaughn looked at her, bemused. She was flustered, waving her good hand around, talking about nonsense. "I went there a while ago, actually. Will and I were hungry…" She stopped, and looked up. "What did you do with Will and Francie? You never told me."  
  
He shrugged his shoulders. "They won a holiday."  
  
"A holiday? Wouldn't she contact me, though?"  
  
"I had someone leave her a note in your handwriting. Saying you knew about the holiday, and that you'd see her when she came back."  
  
"Oh. Ok then. So that's everything covered?"  
  
"Yes. At the CIA we're very thorough." He looked down at his plate, hiding a smirk.  
  
"I've noticed." She played with her spoon. The pasta was lovely, but she didn't feel very hungry. Her head was pounding almost as quickly as her chest. She sat back, and sighed. "Sorry, Vaughn. The pasta's delicious, but I don't feel very hungry."  
  
He looked over at her, and noticed she was a little whiter than normal. "Are you ok?" He didn't want her falling sick.  
  
"I've got a headache." As she said the words, her headache increased into a full blown migraine. "A really bad headache." Her hand went to her forehead, and she took deep breaths. "Vaughn…"  
  
He stood from the table, crouched at her side in an instant. "Where does it hurt." He put his hand on her forehead. His cool palm was soothing against her hot skin. She still had her eyes closed, but she could feel his gaze on her. "Sydney…"  
  
She opened her eyes a little. "I feel dizzy…" Her eyes fluttered shut, and she fell forward a little in the chair. He put his arm around her shoulders, and held her up. "I really don't feel well, Vaughn."  
  
"I think you should get some more rest." He pulled Sydney to her feet gently, and slid an arm around her waist, supporting her. She faltered a little, and clutched to him. "Syd." She could hear the concern in his voice, but her headache was clouding everything. "Syd, look at me." She managed to open her eyes slightly. Just enough to see a pair of wide green eyes search her face, worry clouding their usual sparkle. "Your concussion must be flaring up from the long drive. You should be in bed."  
  
She tried to move, but her legs wouldn't carry her. Vaughn lifted her into his arms, trying not to crush her cast against his chest. She was light enough for him to carry her without any struggle. He walked slowly with her through to her bedroom, her head resting against his chest. The migraine was a throbbing attack on her head, as she tried to make it stop. It only made things worse. He laid her delicately down on her bed, pulling the throwover softly on top of her. Her eyes were still closed, and her face whiter than usual. He didn't know what to do for her, except stroke her forehead gently, willing her pain to go away. As he smoothed her hair gently, he could hear her murmur.  
  
"Don't leave me."  
  
He placed his hand over hers, and whispered softly. "I'm here."  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter five up soon. Please review! Come back soon! 


	5. Chapter Five

NOTE: Thanks for the reviews. This chapter is short, and quite to the point. Please review, and come back for chapter six!  
  
  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Sydney stirred in her sleep, her eyes opening slightly. The curtains had been pulled shut, and only one single shaft of light escaped from the centre of the two. Sydney blinked, waking herself up. She could hear the light sound of breathing behind her, and turned round in the bed. Vaughn was sitting on a chair pulled to her bedside, a blanket wrapped around him. His mouth was open slightly, and she could hear the faint gurgle of a snore. She noticed his usually perfect hair had been ruffled in his sleep. Vaughn shifted slightly in the chair, opening his eyes for a second, before shutting them again. He muttered something unintelligible, before pulling the covers up to his ears.  
  
"Good morning." Sydney smiled, pulling down the covers. He opened his eyes again for a second.  
  
"Morning." His voice was thick with sleep. He had stayed awake most of the night, as she slept. Now, he was shattered. He hadn't slept for at least 72 hours, and was both mentally and physically exhausted. Sydney knew he was tired, so she tried not to make any sound as she gathered fresh clothes from the wardrobe. Within seconds, she heard the steady breathing of Vaughn, fast asleep. Tiptoeing past him, she went into the bathroom to get changed.  
  
*****  
  
Sydney was watching a black and white film on the television in the living room. She had just checked on Vaughn, still finding him fast asleep. It was almost four o'clock in the evening. She turned down the television, and reached for a book sitting on the table. It was a book unknown to her, so she read the back cover aloud.  
  
"a tale of forbidden love..."  
  
She threw the book down as if it had burned her. That was something she just didn't want to think about. Not right now, not here with Vaughn. It was just something they couldn't talk about. It had taken her all her self- control not to go to him right then. It wasn't as if he would want her, anyway. He was just doing his job. She knew it was safer to assume he didn't view her as anything more than an assignment. It was safer for them both if it wasn't discussed at all.  
  
But here she was, in a cabin alone with Vaughn, and he was asleep in her bed. She grimaced at the thoughts that followed. She couldn't allow herself to think that way. They both might do something they regret later. But would she? Would she regret falling deep into those luminous green eyes? Melting into his strong arms? Letting her hair down for once? She knew at once, the only regret that kept the barrier between them was that she would hurt him in the end. She knew she would hurt him, and she wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it. With Danny, Noah… Everything she cared for. Vaughn was special. She couldn't carry the burden of ruining him. He was her handler. It was a professional relationship. In her profession, she couldn't let anyone in. Every time she did, they would get burnt. They would die, no matter how strong they were.  
  
Water rushed to her eyes. She bit her bottom lip. She was destined to be alone. Not even her father was close to her anymore. Her best friends didn't know her at all. Any man she ever loved died. She was by herself, and was destined to be. Even if SD-6 was finally defeated, it wouldn't stop. She just wasn't selfish enough to make Vaughn suffer. It would hurt her too much.  
  
She flicked the channel to a film she knew, and wiped the tears from her eyes. She just had to deal. How hard could that be?  
  
*****  
  
Vaughn stirred from his sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he stretched and walked out of Sydney's room. She was in the living room, watching a film he recognized. Clark Gable was towering over a scared looking Vivien Leigh. Vaughn liked this film, although he would never admit it to his fellow males. Sydney was so engrossed in the film, she didn't notice him stand at the kitchen counter. He had an apple in his hand. Taking a bite out of it, he watched the film. He could hear the faint sound of sobbing, and looked across to see Sydney holding her hand up to her eyes. The shake of her shoulders gave him a chill. She was crying because of something other than the film.  
  
"Syd?"  
  
He put the apple down, and walked over to the sofa. She was still trying to cover her face with her hand, but he could see tears dropping from her cheek.  
  
"Syd, what's wrong?"  
  
He crouched in front of her, and she tried to look away, covering her face. He took her arm gently, and pulled it down.  
  
"Why are you crying?"  
  
She looked down at him, as he searched her face earnestly. It made her ache. She was too weak to let him go. His touch sent burning sensations straight to her brain. A few hours ago, he was sleeping in her bed. He was so close to her. He was close to her now. She could see all the different colors of green in his eyes.  
  
She wanted to lose herself in those piercing green eyes. She wanted so badly to kiss him, make him take away the selfish pain she held inside. She wanted to touch him, anywhere, everywhere. She wanted him.  
  
Sydney looked away. She hurt everyone. She couldn't hurt him. She had to put up barriers. Vaughn stroked her arm softly, still waiting for her to answer him. When she didn't, he reached out and cupped her face in his hands. He wanted so badly to help her. He tried to meet her eyes, but she averted his gaze. He began to slowly stroke her cheek with his hand. He knew he shouldn't be there, doing those things. His heartbeat quickened, as she finally met his eyes. They were full of pain, matching his. He leaned forward slowly, whispering barely above a breath.  
  
"Sydney…"  
  
She had to put them up now. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the television.  
  
"It's just… this film." Taking another deep breath to calm the sobs aching to flow, she looked back down. "It gets me every time."  
  
Vaughn slowly backed away, his hand dropping regretfully from her cheek. Standing sorrowfully, he walked to the kitchen counter, his back to her. Picking up the apple, he sighed. "I know what you mean."  
  
And so it began. The change in their relationship. They would no longer share meaningful glances, or embarrassing slips of the tongue that they wished true. They were on an assignment. They were professionals. He was her handler, she his best agent. Nothing more. Or so they would believe, if it were not for the fire still burning inside, covered only by polite conversations, and false smiles.  
  
*****  
  
Please review. I apologise for this being shorter than the rest, but I work all weekend, so any time I have is limited. This is not the end, only the beginning. Please let me know what you think so far, and come back for Chapter 6. It promises to be quite good, if I can write what I'm planning to ;) Thankyou. 


	6. Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX  
  
A fortnight passed in the log cabin with Vaughn and Sydney. Nothing was heard from the outside, except news of the phenomenon that was snow in LA. Sydney was crawling the walls for two reasons. They were still no closer to catching whoever threatened her position with SD-6, and she was growing even more distant from Vaughn than she ever thought possible. They were polite to each other, but the strained smiles, and depressed shadow overhanging their stay at the cabin, was beginning to take it's toll on her. She would watch as Vaughn prepared dinner, or sat watching television, and thought about what it would have been like, were the situation any different. She would watch him helplessly, knowing that she had done something stupid. He wouldn't want her now. She had messed him around too many times. No matter how much the desire had been heightened by their recent divide.  
  
It was almost seven in the evening, a fortnight after they came to the cabin. Vaughn was in the shower, and Sydney was standing in the kitchen. She was struggling to open a bottle of wine with one hand. She almost let the bottle slip, as she heard the sound of a heavy knock on the front door of the cabin. Cursing under her breath, she sat the wine on the counter, and walked slowly into the hallway. The shadow of two figures standing at the other side of the door immediately set her on guard. She opened the door slowly, to the visitors. Meeting her with expectant smiles at the other side of the door, were a young woman holding a basket, and a young man staring at his shoes.  
  
"Hello there!" The young woman smiled, catching Sydney off guard. Turning up to face her, the young man held out his hand to hers. "We're friends of Michael. Is he in?" Sydney looked confused for a moment, before realising that they meant Vaughn.  
  
"Oh… hi. Michael's in the uh… shower right now." The woman smiled blankly at her, forcing her to continue. "Would you like to come in?"  
  
The woman grinned, and held out her hand. "Thankyou. My name is Marie, and this is Tom. Michael is an old friend. We live next door." Laughing, she added. "Well… as near as that could be up here."  
  
"That's… great!" So Vaughn was right after all. She mentally sighed. Motioning to the living room. "I'll go tell Michael you're here." She walked to the bathroom door, and chapped forcefully on it. The sound of running water ceased immediately. A few seconds later, the door was pulled open, and Sydney was greeted with a sight that would be engraved in her mind for years to come.  
  
Vaughn stood in the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist. His body was still glistening from the shower, and his hair was wet. Sydney actually gasped, and her eyes shot to his chest without thinking. Taking in every inch of skin that was shown, she completely forgot her reason for being at the bathroom door. Vaughn realised his mistake when Sydney's mouth dropped open. He slid behind the door, leaving only his head showing.  
  
"Uh… Syd?"  
  
Sydney looked back up, and realised her face was on fire from blushing. "I… We… Have guests." She pointed her finger in the general direction of the living room.  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"Tom and Marie? They said they knew you." Vaughn's face was a picture of panic.  
  
"I do know them." He grabbed a robe and pulled the door open. "Old friends." He paused, and looked down at her. "Look, no matter what I say to them in there, you have to go along with it."  
  
"I was planning on doing that anyway!" He nodded, and went into his bedroom to get changed. As he neared the living room, laughter reached his ears. Sydney was charming them. Thank goodness.  
  
"Michael!" The woman ran over and hugged him tightly. She was quite thin, and no bigger than 5'4, but she managed to lift him off the ground. Sydney was impressed.  
  
"Marie! How are you?!" He hugged her back. Sydney didn't see him as the hugging type, but smiled at the thought.  
  
"We came as soon as we got back from Adelaide" She smiled at Tom. "We were on honeymoon." Vaughn looked at her incredulously.  
  
"Tom?" He smiled, and patted him on the back "Congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks Michael. I guess it had to happen sometime."  
  
"I guess the best man won, then." Vaughn looked over at Sydney, and smiled. "Tom, has Sydney told you the good news?"  
  
"No… what's the good news?" He looked at Sydney. Vaughn walked slowly over to her, and slid his arm around her waist. Much to her alarm, he bent his head, and kissed her softly on the cheek. Sydney was stunned into silence. Turning back to Tom and Marie, he beamed.  
  
"Meet my fiance." 


	7. Chapter Seven

[CHAPTER SEVEN]  
  
Sydney was prepared for any cover story that Vaughn could have dreamed up within such a short period of time, but when he uttered those three small words, Sydney's mask slipped.  
  
"That's great, Michael! You've got quite a catch there!" Tom offered his hand, and Vaughn shook it. Marie seemed strangely quiet. Sydney moved to sit on the stool at the breakfast bar, and Vaughn reached for the bottle of wine.  
  
"Thanks." Sydney smiled at Tom, and looked at Marie, who seemed to be going pale. "Are you ok, Marie?" Marie dipped her head, and sighed.  
  
"Yes. It's just a little hot in here." She walked past Tom, and out into the hallway. Tom gave Vaughn a knowing look, and followed her. Taking the chance, Vaughn slid over to Sydney to give some sort of an explanation.  
  
"Tom works for the CIA. I've known him since college. Marie and I used to be engaged…" Sydney processed the information quickly, and knew there was a lot more behind the story. "Just play along until I can get them out of here."  
  
"Ok." He handed her a glass of wine, and inhaled a deep breath. The sound of a door slamming reverberated through the house, and Tom appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Marie isn't feeling very well. She's gone back up to the house."  
  
"Did she take the car?"  
  
"Yeah. It's ok though. She'll be fine. I'll go after her in a few minutes." He walked back into the living room. "So tell me about yourself, Sydney. What tactics did you use to ensnare our Mr. Vaughn?" Vaughn handed him a glass of wine, laughing.  
  
"Well…" She looked helplessly at Vaughn. They hadn't gotten a story together yet, and Tom would see right through it if she slipped up.  
  
Vaughn interrupted. "She hates talking about herself. Too modest." He put his arm around her shoulder, and managed to turn the conversation around. "How was the honeymoon, Tom?"  
  
"It was good. Adelaide was very hot compared to here." He gestured out the window, where snow was falling. "Marie and I had a lot of fun."  
  
Tom sat on the single seat in the living room, and crossed his legs. He smoothed down the lines of his pressed black trousers, and picked a piece of imaginary lint from his gray jumper. Vaughn looked down at Sydney who was watching him with curiosity. She stood up, and walked to the sofa.  
  
"How's things at the office, Michael? I hear you got a promotion." With every movement Tom made, Sydney was beginning to think he was a little too concerned about the lint on his jumper. She wasn't comfortable with him.  
  
"I did." Vaughn moved over to the sofa beside her.  
  
"How did that happen?" He looked straight at him, and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I had to deal with a situation. They promoted me for it." Vaughn sat back in the sofa, and pulled Sydney closer to him. They had to make it look natural. Sydney was suspicious of Tom, no matter how long Vaughn knew him. He was fishing for information. Vaughn sensed it too. Sydney moved in the seat uncomfortably. Her arm was beginning to itch again. She started to scratch at the skin above her cast.  
  
"Don't scratch it, Syd."  
  
"I can't help it. It's far too itchy for me not to. When can I get this cast off?"  
  
"Soon." He took her hand gently from the patch of now red skin, and placed his own over it. The touch was instantly soothing, and almost extinguished the itch. Tom watched this all with interest, believing that they were a couple. Vaughn had his arm around her, holding her tightly while making sure he didn't crush the cast that she had on, and Sydney seemed to delight in the closeness that he was to her. They looked naturally in love. Tom had no reason to assume otherwise.  
  
"Have you been back to the office since you came back, Tom?" He shook his head, and sat the glass of wine on the table in front of him.  
  
"No. I'm on holiday for another week. I promised Marie I wouldn't contact them until it was midnight on the last day of the holiday. She says I take work too seriously. She wants 'us' time."  
  
Vaughn laughed softly, still holding his hand over Sydney's arm. She rested her head on his shoulder, and toyed with the cast on her arm. "What is it you do at the office, Tom?"  
  
Tom looked to Vaughn for confirmation before answering. "I work as an agent for the CIA."  
  
"That sounds exciting." Sydney smiled at him.  
  
"Yes it is. But it's dangerous. You should be happy you have a desk job, Sydney. Work like this should be left to the men."  
  
Sydney sat there, disbelieving what he just said. "I'm sorry?" She moved to sit up, but Vaughn held her back firmly to his chest. She curled her fingers into a ball, and gave Tom a strained smile.  
  
"You got yourself a fiery one there, Michael! I would watch her if I were you!" Sydney had to bite on her lip forcefully, to stop her from saying anything, and blowing their cover. How could Vaughn be friends with such a sexist, inarticulate schmuck was beyond her comprehension. "I'm sure she would understand where I'm coming from if she had to endure what we go through every day. It's not easy work."  
  
Sydney sensed that Tom had a rather high opinion of himself for the work that he did. Vaughn could feel her stiffen in his arms as Tom continued to talk about the requirements that their line of work imposed. She was enraged.  
  
"I think you'll find women can do things just as well as men." Tom threw her a glance of skepticism.  
  
"I'm sure that in some careers, yes, but in this one, I'm afraid not. You wouldn't last ten minutes out there in our line of work. For example…" He sat forward, leering at her. "…that arm you've got in a cast. I'm guessing you fell down some stairs or something similar. Maybe slipped in the shower? Things like that would cost agents their lives. You wouldn't last."  
  
Sydney managed to pull herself out of Vaughn's tight embrace.  
  
"I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from, Sydney. It's for your own good."  
  
"I'm sure it is, Tom, but what you fail to realise is…" She was cut off with the pressure of Vaughn's lips against hers. He pulled her tightly to him, the soft touch of his mouth leaving Sydney breathless. She could do nothing but close her eyes, and lean into him. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt him pull away.  
  
The kiss lasted only seconds, but when Sydney opened her eyes, she felt as if hours had passed. Looking up at Vaughn, his face was red, and he was staring down at her, burning desire in his eyes. They had to make it believable, obviously. She knew he was looking at her through a mask. He didn't mean to do anything except stop her from giving away their cover. They turned to Tom, who was watching them with embarrassed interest.  
  
"I can't help myself when she gets like this."  
  
Nodding understandingly, Tom reached for his almost finished glass of wine. Drinking the last of it, he stood. Vaughn pulled his arm from around her waist, and stood with him.  
  
"I'd better be going. Marie will be at the house by now."  
  
"Would you like a lift?"  
  
"That would be great, thanks."  
  
Vaughn reached for his car keys without a word.  
  
"It was nice to meet you, Sydney. We should all have dinner some time soon." She nodded, and looked down at the carpet. He walked out the living room door, and Sydney stared wide eyed at Vaughn who was standing in the doorway.  
  
"I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
"Ok." She wanted him to drop Tom off in the middle of the forest, and leave him there. The fury at not being able to retort to his sexist remarks made Sydney drink her half-filled glass of wine with one swallow. She watched as Vaughn and Tom got into the car, and drove up the darkened road.  
  
She would make him explain exactly what was going on. She had quite a few questions to be answered. Who those people were, what they were doing in Vermont, and why she was still shaking from their kiss. She could answer the last one herself, but tried not to think about it, for fear that she wouldn't be able to contain herself once she knew the answer.  
  
*****  
  
Chapter eight will be up soon. Thank you for all the reviews, and please review this one. Come back soon! :) 


	8. Chapter Eight

[CHAPTER EIGHT]  
  
Vaughn walked quietly into the living room. Sydney was sitting in the single chair, pouring a glass of wine from the bottle. She turned to see him enter, and sat the bottle down. He put the car keys on the counter, and went to the sofa.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
She took a sip of wine, and put her feet on the table. "What was all that about?"  
  
He sat back on the sofa, and scratched his leg. "Tom works for the finance department in the CIA."  
  
A loud burst of laughter came from Sydney. "He works for the FINANCE department? And he's lecturing me on how the job is dangerous?!?"  
  
Vaughn nodded, and a small smile played around him lips. "Tom and I went to college together. We were best friends, and even got jobs with the CIA at the same time. He's an ok guy once you get to know him. I'm sorry for stopping you from saying anything. He's a smart guy. He'd figure things out eventually. We're not supposed to be found."  
  
"It's ok." She could still feel the touch of his lips on hers. "What about Marie?"  
  
"Ah." He sat forward again, and lifted the bottle of wine, pouring a glass for himself. "Marie and I were good friends too. Very good friends." He lifted his eyes to hers, gauging her reaction. She showed no emotion when he continued. "We were engaged for a few months at the end of college. She and Tom were close all through the time we were together. I eventually found them..." He stopped, and looked down at his glass. "Well..." Sydney immediately understood.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah. But a few months later, she came back to me, asking to take her back. Like a fool, I did." He ran his fingers through his damp hair, still wet from the snow outside. "Tom and I stopped talking after that. A year ago, I started to speak to him again. Everything seemed fine. I'm guessing him and Marie were together then."  
  
"Did she mean a lot to you?"  
  
"Oh no. Not anymore." He looked up at her, his eyes telling her everything his mouth couldn't. Sydney smiled, and began to scratch again. "You really have to stop scratching that."  
  
"I think I can take the cast off now. It should be healed."  
  
"It won't be healed."  
  
"I'm going to see anyway." She stood up and walked to the kitchen, searching for a large pair of scissors. "Is there anything I can cut this open with?"   
  
"No!" He jumped to his feet, and shut the cutlery drawer which she had just opened. "Don't open that cast! If it hasn't healed, it'll get worse."  
  
"But I have to scratch it!!!" She reached for a thin ladle sitting on the counter, and tried to nudge it down the inside of the cast. "It's driving me mad!" He pulled the utensil from her hand, and sat it down.  
  
"We can put water on it to cool it down. Don't start shoving things down it to scratch it. It'll just make it worse." He took her gently by the arm, and led her to the bathroom. She continued to scratch it as he lifted a towel from the rack, and soaked it in cold water. While he had his back to her, she reached over and pulled her toothbrush from the holder, and tried to scratch the top of the skin just under the cast. She managed to scratch a small part of it, when Vaughn turned around again.  
  
"Sorry. I really have to scratch it."  
  
He looked at the toothbrush sticking out of her cast, and began to laugh. "Ok. You're taking it too far now. Give me the toothbrush." He held out his hand.   
  
"Just a minute." She tried to finish scratching the rest of the skin at the top of her arm, while Vaughn stood there, hand outstretched. "That's a little better." She handed him the toothbrush. "It's still itchy."  
  
"This will help." He pulled her closer to the sink, and soaked the towel again. Wrapping it around her arm, she immediately felt relief. "How's that?"  
  
"So much better. Thank you." He rubbed the towel around her arm. "When can I get this thing off?!?"  
  
"We can go see a doctor tomorrow." He left the bathroom, and walked into the living room with Sydney close behind.  
  
"So how do you feel about Marie?" It just came out of the blue, she didn't even think about it before she said it.  
  
"What?" He turned to her. She shrugged, and sat on the sofa, reaching for the remote.  
  
"How do you feel about her now that you've seen her again. Are you still in love with her?" She really didn't want to ask him these questions, but something inside drove the words from her mouth. "I don't mean to pry, but if I'm going to be getting in the way of any reunion..." She couldn't look at him when she said it. He stood, motionless.  
  
"Of course I'm not in love with her!" He moved over to the single seat, and sat down. "I can't believe you would even ask that. She's married to Tom now."  
  
"But if she wasn't..." He gave her an angry look. "I'm just asking, Vaughn! There's no need to be defensive. You can't help who you fall for. Am I in the way?"  
  
"In the way?" He bowed his head. "You're right on one thing. You can't help who you fall in love with." Vaughn looked over at her, as she stared at the television. "You're not in the way at all." If she had noticed him at that moment, there could have been no mistake as to the feelings Vaughn had for her. His eyes were filled with tortured love. He could never really have Sydney, no matter how much his heart was screaming for her.  
  
"Ok. I just don't want to be sitting around like a fourth wheel, or something." She turned in the sofa, and faced Vaughn. "So, what's our story?"  
  
"Well, It will have to be believable." He shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, I got that much. So, where did we meet?"  
  
"Where do you want us to meet?"  
  
"A kings game."  
  
"Then we met at a Kings game." He smiled.  
  
"Popcorn?" She stood up.  
  
"I don't think we need to go into as much detail..."  
  
"No, I mean, do you want popcorn?" Walking to the kitchen, she pulled out a bag of popcorn.  
  
"Oh, ok. Sure. So when did we meet?"  
  
"Say six months." Sydney poured some popcorn into a bowl, and walked back to the sofa. "It sounds believable enough."  
  
"Right. They'll want to know who proposed. Do you want to?"  
  
"Me? It's you they thought would have proposed!"  
  
"But..." Seeing the amused look on her face, he shrugged. "What did I do?"  
  
"You think of something. It's your proposal! Make it romantic." She started to eat the popcorn.  
  
"Romantic?!?"  
  
"Yes! There's no way I would marry you unless it was romantic."   
  
"Well... like what?"  
  
"Your proposal... whatever you think."  
  
"But you won't marry me unless it's romantic..." He raised an eyebrow. "So it has to be romantic. I have no idea."  
  
"You're saying that you don't do romantic?"  
  
"It's not that I don't do romantic... I just can't do it on demand! Give me some popcorn." He held out his hand.  
  
"Not until you think of something romantic to propose through." She held the popcorn away from him.  
  
"Too much use of the word romantic..." He sat back in the seat, and sighed. "What if I gave you the ring in food or something."  
  
"In food? What do you think this is? Lady and the Tramp?"  
  
"Wasn't that film good?"  
  
"It was ok. Give me something more... imaginative. Like white horse style."  
  
"White horse style?" He groaned, and paused to think. "What about proposing over dinner."  
  
"You've got a thing for food, don't you."  
  
"It's all I got."  
  
"Ok." She sat the popcorn down on the table, and stared at him. "Think about it. If you were proposing to someone, and wanted it to be ROMANTIC, what would you do?"  
  
"Well..." He fidgeted uncomfortably under her gaze. "... I could write it in a letter?" He shrugged again, and swiped the popcorn off the table.   
  
"A letter? No!"  
  
"Fine. What about a 'romantic' trip to Paris."  
  
"That's better. Now where in Paris would you propose?"  
  
"The Eiffel tower?"  
  
"Too common."  
  
"The Champs-Elysees?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Where then?"  
  
She stopped, and thought for a second. "What about on the flight back? You could propose over the intercom!"  
  
"That's meant to be romantic?"  
  
"It's different, isn't it?"  
  
"Wasn't that done in the Wedding Singer?"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"No reason. Ok, so it was on the flight back from Paris. What did I say?"  
  
"You can think of that one by yourself. Give me back the popcorn." She reached over, and took some popcorn from the bowl. "What's my 'desk' job, then."  
  
"You could be a receptionist."  
  
"Where."  
  
"Credit Dauphine?" He laughed, and sat the popcorn down on the table for her to take. "Maybe not."  
  
"I could work for the Los Angeles Register. Will's told me enough about it to bluff with."  
  
"Ok then. A journalist?"  
  
"Why not. That way, Tom can be happy that I'm safe behind a desk, and won't ask too many questions." She took some more popcorn, and munched on it. "What about up to now?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Like, do we live together, what your favourite colour is, do you have any pets. That kind of thing. The stuff we should know about eachother." She realised then that she didn't know half as much information about Vaughn, as she felt she did. As much as she cared for him, she barely knew him. She wanted to know everything about him. This would be the perfect opportunity. Vaughn was going to use this to his advantage too.  
  
"Ok, let's say we don't live together. It's easier that way."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I... it just is."  
  
"So you wouldn't want to live with me?"  
  
"Well... No. Yes. Why are you taking this so seriously?" He looked startled at her indignant response.  
  
"I just find it hard to believe that if have been engaged for so long, that we wouldn't be living together."  
  
"But you have your work, and I have mine... and I just need space!"  
  
"But...!" They both stopped, and realised they were bickering like they were really engaged. Laughing, Sydney nodded her head. "Ok. So we're not living together."  
  
"Ok. I have a dog."  
  
"Oh. What's the name of it?"  
  
"He's called Donovan."  
  
"That's a nice name."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
They sat in silence for a moment. "I guess you know everything about me from my file."  
  
"Pretty much." He twiddled his thumbs. "Wait... what's your favourite colour?" He looked up, his forehead wrinkling. "You never told me your favourite colour."  
  
"It's red. What's yours?"  
  
"Blue."  
  
"That explains the shirts."  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"You almost always wear blue under your suits."  
  
"You notice that?"  
  
"Yeah. Pretty hard not to." She looked down, eyes widening. "I mean... they're pretty loud shirts and ties. Not that I was staring at your chest or anything... You just... tend to wear blue stuff. If you know what I mean."  
  
Laughing, Vaughn slid the popcorn over to Sydney. "Yeah. Have some more popcorn. Is there anything good on tv?" He picked up the remote, and started to surf through the channels. Quietly, he added. "You know Marie will ask you a lot of questions if we are invited up for dinner, don't you?"  
  
"I know. I think I'm ready for them. Can we go see the doctor in the morning? I think this cast is ready to come off."  
  
"Ok. It will be about an hour drive to the nearest hospital, though."  
  
"Vaughn... it took us almost four days to get to this cabin in the car. I think I'm prepared for an hour drive, don't you?"  
  
He laughed, and pulled the popcorn over. "True."  
  
"I'm going to go to bed anyway. It's late."  
  
"Ok. I'll wake you in the morning."  
  
"Goodnight." She stood up, and walked over to his chair. "Don't worry about Marie and Tom." She put her hand on his shoulder. "They aren't that big a problem." He placed his hand over hers, and looked up at her.   
  
"I know. I'm not worried."  
  
"Ok then. See you in the morning." She ruffled his hair affectionately, and left the room. He just sat there smiling. They were back to the way they were before, at least for the time being. He couldn't wait till they had dinner with Tom and Marie, if only to be near Sydney, and pretend for that small amount of time. He was looking forward to it.  
  
*****  
  
Sorry for the delay in posting!  
Chapter nine coming soon: Keep the reviews coming! Thanks. 


	9. Chapter Nine (part one)

Just a little teaser to set your minds at ease. I've been plagued with a little bit of writers block recently, so I'm gradually writing my way out of it. I'll be back with the full chapter nine within the next week, so look out for it! Meanwhile, here's a pre-9 teaser. What do you think will happen?  
  
Sydney flexed her arm in wonder. It was finally free from the cast, and the itch, which had plagued her waking thoughts, was finally exposed. She scratched like a woman possessed. Finally, the itching subsided, and she sank back into the car seat, a self-satisfied grin on her face. Vaughn watched out the corner of his eye, a small smile playing across his lips.  
  
"How many layers of skin came off with that scratch, Syd?"  
  
He looked back at the road, carefully negotiating a very tight corner. It had taken them three hours to get to the nearest town, and they were half way through their return journey. The mountain seemed to go on forever.  
  
"I just can't believe I finally have my arm back!"  
  
She held it up to study it again.  
  
"See! No cast! No itch! Free!"  
  
It had become a fascination with her, as they drove home. She scratched at it, rubbed it, flexed it every chance she could. It was her new toy. Vaughn could do nothing but laugh.  
  
"Ok, we've established your arm is fixed, so can you stop waving it in front of my face while I'm driving?" He managed to say, while still laughing. They turned another sharp corner perched on the edge of the steep mountain. Vaughn had to pull the car sharply to the right, as another car dashed past them, narrowly missing the car. "Shit!" He took a sharp intake of breath. They weren't expecting any other cars on the road, as the route they were taken wasn't normally used by other drivers. It was a private road leading up to the cabins. Suddenly, Sydney and Vaughn heard a screeching of tyres, and a revving of an engine. They looked at the rearview mirror, and realised instantly that they were being followed. The car behind them was closing the gap quickly, it's speed increasing. The windows were tinted, and they could barely see two figures inside the car.  
  
Vaughn hit the accelerator without a second thought.  
  
  
  
  
  
I'll be back with the full chapter soon. Let me know your thoughts!  
  
And I apologise about the wait. Thanks for the supportive reviews! 


	10. Chapter Nine (part two)

CHAPTER NINE  
  
Sydney twisted in her seat to see the pursuers from a better angle within the car. Vaughn sped through the narrow mountain roads, with no substantial barrier to stop them from crashing to the bottom. He was hitting the 150mph mark, and was still increasing their speed. The pursuers were hot on their tail, flashing their front lights on full beam. Sydney couldn't make out who was in the car because of the strong light shining in her eyes. She gave up momentarily, and sat around in the seat again, watching where Vaughn was speeding.  
  
"There's a gun in my glove compartment."  
  
She pulled it open, and lifted out the small, yet efficient hand gun stowed there. They hadn't been armed during their stay in Vermont. It hadn't seemed necessary. They were hiding. No-one was supposed to know where they were. It seemed superfluous to carry a gun in the mountains.  
  
They had just been proved wrong, as the passenger window of the rear car was opened, and the covered head of the pursuer became visible. Their head was covered with the black material of a balaclava. Sydney saw the glint of a gun pointed in their direction, and loaded up the handgun. She was quicker than the assailant, loading the gun within a few seconds.  
  
Vaughn sped through the narrow road, the small car swaying with the acceleration. He reached a steep corner, where the road almost turned at a 90 degree angle. He pulled frantically at the steering wheel, while Sydney held on to her seat. The car behind was gaining on them, as Vaughn slowed a little for the bend. She could hear the loud, clear ring of gunshots behind them. Sydney turned in her seat again, and reached up to open the sunroof. It slid backwards too slowly for Sydney's patience to take. She smashed the gun through the glass, and forced herself up through it.  
  
The assailant had retreated back into the car, as they rounded the bend just behind Vaughn and Sydney. She took aim, and shot at one of their tyres. Being a spy had it's advantages. She knew how to shoot straight, even with the unsteady footing she had on her seat, and the speed of the car. The car swayed back and forth behind her, it's tyre burst from her shot. She took aim again, and shot out the windshield. The dark glass gave way instantly, providing her with a fleeting glance of the two behind the attack. Familiar faces stared back at her shocked face, seconds before she watched them lose control of the car, and break through the thin barrier keeping them from the rocks below.  
  
She barely registered the resounding thunder of a bullet being fired, as the car sailed through the air gracefully, and gravity won the battle. Sydney felt the car below her move with a violent shudder. The last shot was from the other car. They had blown one of the tyres. Inside, Vaughn was swearing at the steering wheel. The car was going over 150mph, and he couldn't gain control of the wheel. The car veered aggressively to the left, almost colliding with the flat mountain wall. It suddenly changed direction, pulling the car dangerously close to the edge of the mountain.  
  
Sydney watched in silence, as the mountain whizzed past her. She could have looked down, and seen the wreck of the other car, but she didn't. Instead, she looked up, towards the sky. The wind was in her hair, flowing around her. She couldn't shut her eyes. The sight was so beautiful, and yet so desperately unsafe. The ground was flashing by her eyes so quickly, she didn't have time to focus. She heard Vaughn groan with resignation, as she slid down into her seat again. Hitting the brake was the only thing left to do. She turned to meet his eyes, noticing for the first time how she could see her reflection in them.  
  
Suddenly, everything around them moved slowly. Her own movements felt flowing, as if she was no longer moving at the same pace as her surroundings. Vaughn felt the same, as he moved forward, pulling the wheel towards him, vainly trying to gain power again.  
  
Around the car, trees and rock swept past. The car was moving faster than they could control, waving desperately across the road, bringing Sydney and Vaughn perilously near the edge of the mountain. In one last attempt to gain control, Vaughn pushed forcefully on the brake.  
  
The car suddenly jerked ominously towards the barrier, and Sydney knew instantly what was before them. She couldn't bring herself to close her eyes, instead concentrating on the penetrating emerald eyes bearing down on her. She couldn't move, as she felt the lurch of the car, driving the car into the barrier, straining the thin metal. The abrupt shattering of the barrier drove a loud gasp from Sydney. The car sailed gracefully through the boundary, into the air.  
  
She knew her life should be flashing in front of her eyes at any moment, but all she could see in front of her was the green eyes she had come to love. She reached for his hand, and he clasped it desperately. Her heart lept in her throat, as she felt the sensation of toppling through the atmosphere. She gazed openly into his eyes, masking nothing, knowing he would understand finally.  
  
The surreal sound of the car plunging through the sky was the last sound she heard, before everything went black.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
to be continued? 


	11. Chapter Ten

The terrified screams of Vaughn and Sydney echoed shrilly through the mountain. They were silenced only by the overpowering explosion of the car meeting the rocks below...  
  
****  
  
Sydney screamed at the top of her lungs, thrashing around in her bed. Her legs and arms were tangled in the sheets. Gasping for air, she sprung up from the bed, eyes wild with fear.  
  
"Nooooooooooooooo!"  
  
She screamed in pure, abandoned terror, grabbing at the sheets, trying to ground herself. The image of the car sailing through the air was a burning image still fresh in her mind. She was still disorientated, stumbling out of the bed, squinting in the darkness for her dressing gown. The dream had been so vivid. She had felt the wind on her face, and the touch of his hand...  
  
Suddenly, realisation hit her. She hadn't been worried about her own death. She had been petrified about Vaughn's. As if on cue, the soft knock of Vaughn's hand on her bedroom door met her ears. She heard his gentle, tentative whisper.  
  
"Syd? Are you ok?"  
  
Rubbing her eyes, she tried to focus. Everything was still a blur to her, apart from the burning wreck that she could see in front of her eyes. She was beginning to come back to reality, as the fear subsided. That morning, she and Vaughn had went to the hospital. Rubbing her arm, she remembered the cast being removed.  
  
Her breathing returned to normal, and she looked around the now familiar room. It had all been a dream. Nothing bad had happened to them. Everything was fine. Vaughn was still alive. Putting on her gown, she walked quietly to the door. Everything from that day was coming back to her in short bursts.  
  
She recalled the drive home. It was peaceful, not like the dream. They had driven slowly through the winding roads, taking in the scenery around them. They had even met Tom and Marie, and had gone for a picnic with them. Vaughn and Sydney had acted like a couple. Of course, it was only to keep up the pretense, but Vaughn had kissed her on the blanket that they shared that afternoon. The only thing was, Marie and Tom weren't there at the time. Even in the darkness, Sydney blushed. He had taken her by surprise. She had been thinking about the patch of grass under the blanket, when he had leaned over, and kissed her softly. She remembered blushing violently when Tom and Marie had came back. It was all for show, she knew. He hadn't really kissed her. They were under pretense. It was to cover their own backs. But she couldn't conceal the fact that she had liked it.  
  
Pulling her from her reverie, Vaughn knocked on her door louder.  
  
"Sydney?"  
  
"I'm ok. Just a bad dream." She pulled the door open, and squinted again from the bright light in the hallway. Vaughn stood before her, wearing only a pair of blue boxer shorts. His hair was standing up at various angles, and he was rubbing his eyes wearily.  
  
"You were screaming pretty loudly."  
  
Even with her heart still pounding from the shock of such a vivid dream, the image of Vaughn standing in front of her, looking so adorable, as he peered out at her through thick lashes heavy with sleep, she couldn't help but smile.  
  
"I'm fine. I just had a nightmare." She brushed past him into the kitchen. He followed close behind, still rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. He must be a heavy sleeper, she thought.  
  
"I heard you shout on me."  
  
She had her back to him at that moment, and thankful she was for the obstruction. Her face grew hot. Opening a cupboard, she pulled out a jar of hot chocolate.  
  
"Sorry to wake you up." Heating some milk in a pan, she turned to face the dark window. It was just past three in the morning, and the mountains were pitch black.  
  
"No," His voice was clear now, awake. "You were having a bad dream. Don't apologise." She nodded, still avoiding him. She didn't want to explain how she had dreamt they'd died. She would cry, and she didn't want Vaughn to see her so vulnerable. She was a spy, after all. "What was it about?" Trust Vaughn to ask the question she least wanted to answer. All those years in the CIA had taught him well.  
  
"Nothing, really." She dodged his penetrating gaze, instead busying herself with the cup in her hand. "I was just dreaming about." She put the cup down. ".nothing. It was a dream about nothing." More for her benefit, than Vaughn's. She didn't want to admit to having such strong feelings for him. Everyone she ever cared about suffered, because of her. She couldn't put Vaughn through that.  
  
"Couldn't have been nothing. You sounded terrified. I was ready to break down your bedroom door!"  
  
In spite of herself, she pictured him doing just that.  
  
"I'm sorry I woke you. I didn't realise I made so much noise. I'm fine now. Go back to bed. You're obviously tired." Her curt remarks gave Vaughn reason to be suspicious.  
  
"Syd, is there something you're not telling me? How am I supposed to protect you if there are things you can't tell me?" He stepped up to the counter she was standing against, staring out the window. Taking the cup from the counter, he filled it with the hot milk she had boiled.  
  
"Jesus, Mike! It was only a dream!"  
  
His grasp slipped, and boiling hot milk slid down his hand. He jumped back in pain. She had called him Mike. She had never called him Mike before, when they were alone. He looked at her, complete surprise showing in his warm green eyes. She grabbed his hand, and dragged him over to the sink, and ran cold water.  
  
He was still shocked, partly because he was still tired enough to have a few seconds delay before realisation sank in. She ran water over his hand, soothing the trivial burn. It was an excuse to touch him, she knew. The closeness of him was almost unbearable, as they huddled over the sink. Both knew that his burn wasn't critical, but the tender way that Sydney was soothing his hand, gave Vaughn no choice but to stand beside her, mesmerized. He could hear her soft breathing, he was so close to her. Looking down at her hand, gently tracing the back of his own, he inhaled her perfume. She had called him by his name. His first name. They weren't putting up a pretense this time. They had no-one to deceive this time. Tom and Marie were nowhere to be found. She had finally called him by the name he had wanted her to say for so long.  
  
Even such innocent contact heightened Sydney's senses. She could see his reflection in the dark window, watching her with unmasked devotion. There was no delusion of the feelings they were sharing at that moment. She felt his hand move under her own. He laced their fingers together, still under the running water. The feel of their fingers together seemed to be a perfect fit. Their fingers slid together easily, and felt as natural as breathing. She couldn't tear herself from his gaze.  
  
Without saying a word, he pulled on her arm tenderly to face him. Lifting his hand, he caressed her cheek. She answered his silent question by closing her eyes, and leaning into him. He tilted his head downwards, resting his forehead against hers. He tenderly brushed his lips against her cheek, and murmured softly in her ear.  
  
"You called me Mike."  
  
She gently traced her hand down his arm, feeling the muscle beneath her fingertips. Whispering, she replied coyly, "It's your name, isn't it?" He slid his hand down her cheek, under her chin, lifting it softly to meet his eyes.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Leaning toward her, he searched her eyes for consent. The glow of desire was enough to give him what he needed. Closing his eyes, he gently tilted his head, and brushed his lips lightly against hers. The first touch of their lips sent fire through their bodies. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. They melted into one another, as the passion they truly felt for each other was finally realized. He pulled her close to him, arms circling her in an embrace he had dreamed about from the moment they had met. The kiss seemed endless. She could feel his soft lips crushed against hers, desperate for her. She matched his passion with an equal desire.  
  
The piercing ring of Vaughn's cellular phone, sitting on the kitchen counter suddenly interrupted their impassioned embrace. They pulled apart instantly, the enchanted moment gone. Sydney took a step back from him, lifting a finger to her lips, sensitive from their kiss. Vaughn stared at her for a moment, dumfounded, before reaching for his phone. The call ID gave Vaughn an even greater shock.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"It's. Weiss."  
  
"But."  
  
"I told him not to call unless it was an emergency."  
  
He stared at the phone for another second, before hitting the answer button.  
  
"Michael Vaughn."  
  
  
  
To be continued.  
  
Thankyou for the reviews! Keep them coming! If anyone wants to email me, feel free! plebb_nebb@hotmail.com. Thankyou for continuing to read my little story. It's greatly appreciated. 


	12. Chapter Eleven

[CHAPTER ELEVEN]  
  
Sydney was standing against the doorframe of the living room, eyes shut tight. As she heard the front door being opened, the knot in her stomach tightened. Vaughn walked slowly up the hall, his head bowed. It was not good news. Barely trusting herself to ask, she just stood up, and walked into the room. Vaughn followed.  
  
"The line was bad. I could barely make out what he was trying to say."  
  
"What happened?" She lowered herself onto the sofa, facing him. Her brown eyes were clouded with fear. "Did they catch him?" Wishful thinking, she knew. Vaughn leaned against the doorframe she had darkened a few moments ago, closing his eyes the same way she had.  
  
"They've pinpointed one suspect. Agent Weiss is going to head up a team to extract him. I could barely make out what he was saying, but as far as I could understand, the information was sketchy. He wasn't a field agent, but he did work for the CIA. They're on their way to his location now."  
  
"So that's it? They've found him?" The optimism in her voice grew. "We can go home?"  
  
"Not yet." He pulled her closer to him, and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "It's still very unstable. We're almost sure he's the mole, but we have to make sure."  
  
"I know." She snuggled up to his chest, trying to shake off the feeling of dread hunting her thoughts. "What time is it?"  
  
"It's just after nine." He smoothed her hair subconsciously, thoughts dominated by the information Weiss had given him. He couldn't tell Sydney just yet. He would wait until they heard back from LA. "Weiss will phone as soon as he gets a chance."  
  
"Does my father know?" She looked up at him, suddenly realising her own father could be in danger too. "I mean, Weiss would have told him, wouldn't he? He could help."  
  
"He was informed as soon as it happened. Don't worry. Jack Bristow knows how to keep himself safe." Vaughn hid a small smile into her hair. "I'm going to go for a drive and get some provisions. Will you be ok here by yourself for a while?"  
  
"Yeah." She sat up, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to go have a shower. Are you going to take the phone with you?"  
  
"I'd better, just incase." He lifted the phone from the coffee table, and stood up. "Is there anything you want me to get while I'm in town?"  
  
"Some strong alcohol wouldn't go amiss." She smirked. "I can't think of anything right now. Just whatever you think we need."  
  
"Ok." He began to move towards her, considering giving her a goodbye kiss, but knew it would be too awkward. "I'll go now."  
  
"Ok." Sydney just stood there, looking up at him, knowing he had changed his mind about kissing her goodbye. She couldn't deny her disappointment when he pulled back, and left the room.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
Her thought were so focused on the mole, that she didn't realise until it too late. she had climbed into the running shower with her socks still on.  
  
*****  
  
"Sydney?!?" Vaughn shouted on her as he entered the cabin, hands full with brown grocery bags. "I just heard from LA!" He sat the bags down on the table, and walked back out into the hall. "Syd?!?" He opened the door to her room cautiously. "Are you in here?" Her room was empty. He crossed the hall to the bathroom, and put his head to the door. "Sydney?" He pushed the door open and peered inside.  
  
"Hello?" She was nowhere to be found.  
  
He walked quickly to the front door, and scanned the area. "SYDNEY?!?" His voice echoed over the trees in the mountain, but brought no reply. He could feel the panic rise in his throat. She couldn't have taken off. there was no way she could get down the mountain without a car. but this was Sydney. She could do anything. He swore under his breath, and walked back into the kitchen. She had done it again. Taken things into her own hands. He should have KNOWN she would do something like this. She couldn't let anyone else handle things. And she was going to get them both in trouble. He clenched his fist in anger. Damn her stubbornness!  
  
"Hi Michael." He turned to see Sydney standing there, grinning at him. She was carrying a large black bag. Behind her was Marie, basket in hand. "Sorry we weren't here when you got back. Marie came down to visit, and asked me to help her hang some curtains in her cabin."  
  
"Hang some. curtains?" Vaughn looked at her reservedly. "You can hang curtains?"  
  
"I can do a lot of things, Michael." She grinned again, more for the benefit of Marie who was watching her with interest. "Tom and Marie have invited us up for dinner tonight. They're having a party."  
  
"Oh. but I thought." He shrugged, and smiled at Marie. "That would be great, thanks!"  
  
"Not a problem, Mike. Just one thing, though. It's black tie. We're having a few people round. And I haven't seen you in a tuxedo for quite a while." She winked at Sydney, and turned to go. "Seven o'clock tonight for drinks. Don't be late! Tom and I are dying to hear more about you, Sydney!"  
  
"Oh, don't worry. We'll be there." She smiled warmly to Marie as she shut the door behind her, and walked to her car.  
  
"What was all that about?"  
  
"She came to the door just after you left, and insisted I come with her to the cabin and help her hang curtains. I think it was meant to be a girly thing." She wrinkled her nose. "What's wrong?"  
  
He shook his head. "I heard back from Weiss. There's good and bad news. The good news is that the operation was a success. they extracted the guy. The bad news is that he wasn't the mole, and he'd been dead for over two weeks."  
  
"What?!?" She stood back, eyes wide. "What are we going to do now?"  
  
"We have to stay where we are, and wait until they find the mole. There's nothing we can do right now, except stay where we are."  
  
"I really don't feel like facing an audience tonight, but I promised Marie. It would just arouse suspicion if we didn't go."  
  
"I'd love to go. but I don't have a tuxedo." He was relieved there was an excuse for him not to wear a tuxedo. He always felt like a penguin wearing a tuxedo.  
  
"You could always wear this one." She handed him the black bag she had been holding. "Marie mentioned he had a spare incase you needed one, so I brought it with me."  
  
"Oh. Thanks." He grimaced, much to Sydney's amusement. "I'd better go try it on."  
  
He disappeared into his room, while Sydney sifted through the dresses Vaughn had packed for her. The man had taste, she had to admit. After an agonizing decision, she finally laid out a deep red dress, made of heavy velvet material, on the bed. Will had bought her it one day when they were out shopping. She remembered the way his eyes lit up when he seen her try it on. Even now, it made her smile. He had looked like a deer caught in headlights. She just hoped it would work half as well on Vaughn.  
  
She was searching through the travel jewelry case for a matching necklace, when she heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
She turned to see Vaughn step through the door, wearing the black tuxedo. It was a perfect fit.  
  
"What do you think."  
  
Roles were reversed. She felt like the deer caught in headlights. "I. it's black." The skill of verbal communication seemed to escape her at that moment, as he turned his back to her. The trousers were perfect. He pulled at the sleeves of the jacket, and slid it off, revealing the white shirt below. It fitted him flawlessly. She wanted to tear it off him right there. He turned around to face her again.  
  
"I think the bowtie makes me look a little." He stopped as he caught her looking at him. "Syd?"  
  
"Huh?" She looked up at him, his head cocked to the side, wearing an amused look. She pulled herself together. "It looks fine. Fine. Fits you well. Excuse me." She brushed past him, biting her lip.  
  
Escaping to the bathroom, she exhaled loudly. This was going to be an interesting night. If she could last that long.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
********** sorry for the delay! My muse went AWOL again! Chapter 12 will be longer, and better. I promise!  
  
REVIEW please! I need your thoughts on this! 


	13. Chapter Twelve

[CHAPTER TWELVE]  
  
The cabin Tom and Marie owned couldn't really be called a cabin of sorts. It was almost twenty times bigger than Sydney's own house. The hallway was large enough to fit four cars into. Sydney pulled her coat from around her shoulders, and hung it up on the stand just to the left of the front door. From the many coats already piled over, there were quite a few guests.  
  
"Mike! Sydney!" Tom's strangely feminine voice greeted them as they stepped into the lounge. "You made it!"  
  
"Hi Tom." Vaughn shook the hand offered to him, and beamed at Marie, who had just entered with a glass of wine for them both. "Thanks, Marie." They took in the rest of the guests, four of them deep in conversation. They seemed respectable enough. Not on FBI's most wanted list, anyway.  
  
"Sydney, I love that dress you're wearing! It's beautiful!" Marie forced her to turn around in the dress. "Is that red velvet?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"It's beautiful, isn't it Mike!" Marie threaded her arm through Vaughn's and motioned to Sydney. "It brings out her eyes, don't you think?"  
  
"Yes, it does." He brightened instantly, as he took in the shape of the dress. It clung to every curve of her body, accentuating the stunning figure Sydney had. She was blushing, as Vaughn settled his arm around her waist, leading her to the dining room.  
  
"Dinner's being served, ladies and gentlemen!" Tom announced grandly to the guests, scattered through the lounge. Sydney didn't recognize any of them, but felt comfortable with Vaughn by her side. "Sydney, let me show you to your seat."  
  
Tom slid out a seat for her, two seats from the top of the table. She took her seat, and thanked him. Vaughn found his seat, which was across from her. He pulled at his bowtie, running his finger under the band. It was obviously annoying him. She couldn't help but smile, as he fidgeted, unaware of her watching him. When he finally looked up, Sydney raised an eyebrow. He grinned at her sheepishly, and mouthed "itchy". She giggled, and took a sip of the red wine Marie had given her.  
  
"So tell me, Sydney, what's your line of business?" The small talk had started already.  
  
"I work for a bank."  
  
"That must be exciting." A thin, wiry woman sitting to the left of Vaughn leaned over and smirked at her. "All those figures, and numbers. Intriguing."  
  
"Uh. yes. It is." She smiled back, and wished someone would serve the first course.  
  
"My name is Anne Murray. I'm the Dean of Vermont University." Sydney nodded to her, and looked back at Vaughn.  
  
"I'm Michael Vaughn. I work with Tom. Nice to meet you." He turned, and offered his hand. She simply looked at him, then at Tom.  
  
"Another agent for the CIA, Tom? Surely there are enough of you out there already." She turned to the guest on her left, blatantly ignoring Vaughn. Sydney rolled her eyes, and turned to Tom.  
  
"So what do you do for the CIA, Tom? Michael hasn't told me very much about what you do." She reached for her wine again.  
  
"Aah. it's all rather hush-hush, I'm afraid. I'm not really allowed to go into it. Lets just say I deal with important things." She could barely conceal a smirk behind her wine glass.  
  
"It must be important if you can't talk about it. I'm sure you do a great deal of vital work for our country, Tom." She could have gagged right there. Tom was beaming at her proudly, doing his best impression of a peacock without the aid of feathers.  
  
"That it is, Sydney. That it is."  
  
Thankfully, the first course was served before Sydney could speak further. They ate in silence. Vaughn watched as she took in the appearance of the man to her right. He was wearing a dark blue suit, versace probably. It looked very expensive. He had short blonde hair, and bright blue eyes, with a body that could make him quite a few dollars on the model market. He reminded her of someone she knew, but couldn't quite establish who. Vaughn misread it, thinking she was attracted to him. Jealousy wasn't part of his normal behaviour, but something envious stirred inside.  
  
The man he had focused on, had by now finished his first course, and was watching Sydney intently. She barely noticed now, engrossed in the movements of Vaughn. She discreetly observed the rise and fall of his chest through the shirt. His normal suits done well to hide the strong muscular shape of his chest, and no doubt the rest of his body. At this thought, Sydney almost choked on a piece of fruit she was chewing.  
  
The man to her right patted her gently on the back, to which she smiled in gratitude. He took it as a signal to introduce himself.  
  
"Hi. The name's Bradley."  
  
"Hi, I'm Sydney."  
  
"So how do you know Tom and Marie?" Marie had just sat the main course down in front of Sydney, who lifted her fork.  
  
"Through Michael."  
  
"Yes, hi. I'm Sydneys fiance. We're getting married. Man and wife. Matrimony, you know?" He leaned over the table and took Bradleys hand in a firm handshake. Grinning at him, to hide the sneer emerging. "Have you a better half?"  
  
"Uh. no." He looked at Sydney out of the corner of his eye, who was looking at Vaughn with her mouth wide open. "I'm still looking, actually."  
  
"Right. right. Good luck with that. We had settled on a spring wedding, didn't we honey?" He glared at Sydney, who was eating silently. "No point in waiting."  
  
"Yes." She nodded, looking down at her food. The meat she was chewing on didn't seem to taste quite right. She looked at Tom, who was grimacing also. Vaughn was trying to hide his wave of nausea, and Bradley had taken out a napkin, and was hiding the meat under its folds. Down the table, a woman in a green dress was gradually turning the same color as her attire. Bradley leaned over, and whispered in her ear.  
  
"This tastes awful."  
  
She could barely suppress a giggle as Marie sat at the bottom of the table, eating her food as if nothing was wrong. She eyed her husband, who obediently shoved another piece of meat in his mouth, mumbling "yum."  
  
Bradley leaned over yet again, and whispered "Do you think they've got anything else in the kitchen that hasn't been cooked yet?"  
  
"I have no idea." She whispered back conspiratorially, looking down the table at Marie again, who had by now forced the woman in the green dress and her partner, to guiltily eat some more. "I hope so!"  
  
The whispering at the table gradually increased to a dull murmur, demanding Marie to say something about the food.  
  
"Ok, ok. I'm sorry." She began to chuckle. "It's awful. I'm a terrible cook!" She started to laugh, and her husband stood from the table.  
  
"Thankyou for the. interesting. dinner, Marie. It was." he snickered, ".delectable." This gave the rest of the table reprise. They began to laugh good-naturedly, patting Marie on the back. Shouts of "well done", and "amazing cooking skill" were passed around the table. "I'll go see if there is anything else we can salvage. Michael?" Tom motioned for Vaughn to help him. He followed him through to the kitchen.  
  
"Why don't we all go back into the other room while the gents find something edible." Marie threw down her napkin, and wiped a tear of laughter from her eye. "I'm sure I'm banned from the kitchen now!"  
  
They made their way back into the lounge, where Sydney made her way to the comfortable looking wing-back chair beside the fire. Just as she sat down, the woman who had introduced herself earlier as the dean of an university, stood over her menacingly.  
  
"That's the seat I was sitting on, my dear."  
  
"Oh. sorry." She stood up, and moved out her way.  
  
"There's a seat over here next to me, Sydney." It was Bradley, patting the seat next to him on a small couch.  
  
"Thanks." She brushed her hair back behind her ear, and sat down to Bradley's left. She could have sworn he shifted towards her as she sat down, but decided to ignore it. Marie was sitting to her left, and she turned to speak to her.  
  
"It was a lovely first course, Marie. You shouldn't feel bad." Comfort wasn't her strongest point.  
  
"The first course came out of a tin!"  
  
"Oh." She couldn't think of anything else to say, instead leaning back in the seat, and suddenly feeling the pressure of Bradley's arm around her shoulders. Vaughn, with his impeccable timing, entered the room just as she turned to say something to Bradley.  
  
"Dinner is ser." he was cut short by the smug smile Bradley threw at him. He had his arm around Sydney, who was facing him. Trying not to let his jealousy show he looked away. Everyone stood from their seats, and made their way toward the dining room. Vaughn caught Sydney's arm as she walked by, Bradley still glued to her side. He guided her into the hall, much to the disappointment of her new admirer.  
  
"I know, I know." She shrugged.  
  
"He likes you." Vaughn stated the obvious.  
  
"Well, he's not really my type."  
  
"And you're engaged to me."  
  
It should have been a simple statement, reminding her of the cover story. Why did it give them both butterflies? He looked at her seriously. She smiled at him, which progressed into a grin, when she realised.  
  
"You're jealous, aren't you!"  
  
"I'm not jealous." He stood to his full height, looking down on her. "Why would I be jealous? There's no need to be jealous. I'm just taking care. I'm not jealous. There's no jealousy there."  
  
"How many times have you said jealous?"  
  
"Enough to get the point through, I hope. I'm not jealous."  
  
"Ok." She hid a smirk behind her hand, as he turned to walk away. He pivoted round again, and faced her.  
  
"Maybe a little bit. But it's only because he has nice hair. It's nothing to do with you."  
  
"I thought as much." She didn't buy it for a second. He knew she didn't believe him. But there were some things he just couldn't say. "We'd better go back." He nodded in agreement.  
  
As they reached the doors of the dining room, Vaughn took Sydney's hand. They walked in to see a feast of toast and beans. Anything was better than the mystery meat. Bradley looked up to see them enter, and shot Vaughn another smug look. Vaughn knew better than to retaliate. Better judgement wouldn't stop him, though. He turned Sydney to face him, and kissed her softly on the lips. She wasn't too surprised. It was inevitable. Male egos - she wasn't going to complain.  
  
"Do you want some more wine, honey?" He emphasized the word 'honey' loud enough for everyone to hear. Even Tom knew that he was staking his claim on Sydney. He laughed lightly, surprised at Vaughn's protective streak. He didn't act this passionately towards Marie when they were competing for her.  
  
Marie watched them with detached interest. It was obvious Michael loved Sydney. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of spite towards her.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Charades was a complete disaster. Marie obviously couldn't act her way out of a paper bag, and Tom was filled with too much alcohol to form a coherent sentence. The witch who called herself 'dean' had left after dinner, and the woman in the green dress had gotten progressively worse after eating too much of the mystery meat. Her husband had taken her home before dessert. It was down to Tom, Marie, Bradley, Sydney and Vaughn. The atmosphere would have been less bearable, were it not for the amusing antics of a drunk Tom. He tripped over his own shoe reaching for another bottle of wine, and landed headfirst into the lap of a very alarmed Bradley. Sydney laughed, and reached for her glass of wine. Vaughn had put his arm around her protectively, still aware of the presence of a ruggedly handsome admirer.  
  
"So, Sydney. How's your arm?" Marie scrutinized her arm. "It seems to have healed quickly. How did you break it?"  
  
"I fell in the shower. Stood on a bar of soap."  
  
"I've done that a few times myself. Not advisable." Marie had sat beside her, patting Sydney's arm. "At least you had Michael to take care of you. He knows all about broken bones, don't you Mike? Do you remember that time you fell down the stairs? Naked?"  
  
Sydney looked at Vaughn, stupefied. "Naked?!?"  
  
His face began to turn the same shade as Sydney's red dress. "I.I was running to answer the door. I dropped my towel." He looked down at Sydney, who had lapsed into a fit of laughter. "Thanks, Marie. There goes my respect."  
  
"The person at the door was none other than my mother. She was scarred for life." Marie joined in Sydney's laughter fit.  
  
"She was really nice about it. Covered me up, and dialed an ambulance."  
  
"Mike's had quite a few broken bones. For being a hot-shot CIA agent, he is a big klutz."  
  
"I'm better now. I haven't had a broken bone for a long time."  
  
"You always were a warrior!" Tom added his irrelevant contribution from his position beside Bradley's leg.  
  
"I'd better go, it's getting late." Bradley stood up, and smiled at Sydney. "It was very nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll cross paths again." He leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek. "I look forward to it."  
  
"As do I." Vaughn smiled at him, testosterone levels increasing rapidly. "I'm sure if we meet again, it will be an event to remember." Sydney watched, grinning like a cheshire cat.  
  
"Come see us again soon, Bradley." Marie walked with him to the front door, as Tom pulled himself up onto the seat.  
  
"I think I'm going to go to bed, Mike. Too much wine." Tom waved his hand around in explanation, slurring his words.  
  
"I think it's about time we went home too. What do you say, Syd?"  
  
"Yeah. It's late." They stood, just as Marie came back in. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Marie."  
  
"Are you leaving too? We've only just got started!"  
  
"Sorry, Marie. It's late. We really should be heading home." Vaughn put his arm around Sydney again, and shook Tom's hand. "You're going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning, my friend!"  
  
She sighed, and nodded. "Ok. Do you need a lift home?"  
  
"That would be wonderful, thanks." They walked into the hall, and pulled on their coats. Vaughn helped Sydney into hers from behind, and kissed the top of her head lightly.  
  
"Come on then, lovebirds. I'll get the car." Marie opened the door, and stepped out into the cold air.  
  
"Tonight was good, wasn't it?" He had his arm around her waist, as they left the house. "I mean, apart from that Romeo who thought he had a chance with you." She could hear the obvious jealousy in his voice, and hugged him.  
  
"Bradley was harmless."  
  
"I could have taken him." He puffed his chest out, and  
  
"Of course you could, honey." Sydney ducked into the car, with Vaughn following close behind. Marie was up front, waiting for them to get settled.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
The drive home was short, and silent. Vaughn stood at the door, and waved goodbye to Marie. Sydney pulled the key from her bag.  
  
"Before we go in." Vaughn put his hand over the lock. "Can I kiss you goodnight?"  
  
He didn't know if it was the glass of wine, or the stress of the situation, but he couldn't stop the words. As soon as they were to set foot back inside that cabin, they would no longer be engaged, involved, or allowed to look at one another the way they wanted. They stood inches apart, their breath turning to mist.  
  
"Ok."  
  
He leaned forward, and pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around him, under his heavy coat, pulling him closer. He lifted his hands to her hair, running his fingers through its silky depths. She could feel their need, as he pressed his lips firmly against hers. Vaughn broke the kiss, fingers still tangled in her hair. He looked intensely into her deep brown eyes, searching for something.  
  
"Sydney Bristow, I."  
  
His revelation was cut short by the abrupt opening of their front door. Standing in the doorway, was a very disheveled, very frantic looking Eric Weiss.  
  
"Mike, we have a problem."  
  
  
  
***** 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

I apologise to everyone who has waited so long on this chapter. It's also very short, because I'm working on the action sequences right now. Please forgive the shortness, and the lack of real content. There's far too much information in this story I can't let out yet. I hope you will stick with it for the time being until I have everything sorted out . Thanks again for your continued support, and please give feedback. Eckle.  
  
Hiding  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
By Eckle Feckle  
  
"Mike, we have a problem." Eric Weiss leaned against the doorframe, clutching something in his hand. Vaughn pulled himself away from Sydney, and reached over, pulling the object free. It was a yo-yo.  
  
"Eric.?" Weiss closed his eyes and sighed. "What's going on?"  
  
"The string on my yo-yo broke."  
  
"I can see that, but what are you doing here, and how did you find us?" Vaughn stepped up, into the house with Sydney following close behind. "How did you know where we'd be."  
  
"Mike, I'm your best friend. Of course I know where to find you." Vaughn looked at him, half annoyed, half touched at his concern. "I had a feeling. plus the tracking device on your mobile phone came in handy."  
  
"You were tracking me?" His eyes opened in surprise. "I told you to let us disappear."  
  
"I know, but I had to know where to find you incase something really went wrong." He moved into the living room, and gestured to the suitcases against the kitchen bar. "I've to come and stay with you guys until this is sorted out. We've finally got a lead on the mole. Looks like he really was inside the Agency after all. Works in the offices below us. Who would've guessed, eh?"  
  
Sydney took off her coat, and laid it over the sofa. "So, you're staying with us until the mole is caught?" Weiss nodded, and Sydney's heart sank. "Oh." She couldn't help but steal a glance at Vaughn, who was glaring intently at his best friend. She could almost see the smoke escaping from his ears. Sydney cleared her throat, and looked back at Eric, who seemed to have shrunk two inches under Vaughn's glare. "There's a spare bedroom in the back, isn't there Vaughn?"  
  
"Why did they send you up here, Eric?"  
  
"They told me to keep an eye out for you. They thought you two might be a little.." He looked down at his feet, which had decided to move around nervously on their own. ".distracted. They said a level head was needed. Devlin told me to find you, and to stay until things had been dealt with."  
  
"So what's the ID on this mole?" Sydney was more interested in what had happened in LA, than having Eric ask about what had happened in the cabin. How do you phrase heightened sexual tension when briefing another agent? "You said they were inside the Agency. Who was it?"  
  
"They think it was a guy from the finance department. We'd already found another agent dead a few weeks ago. They worked for the finance department too. All fingers point to a guy called Aitken."  
  
Vaughn inhaled sharply while Eric continued.  
  
"Thomas Aitken." Eric was watching his friend intently. He had a feeling he had heard of Aitken before. Now his suspicions were confirmed, he could talk freely. "You know him, don't you Mike. That's the guy you knew in college."  
  
"Yeah." He looked at Sydney, who had already pieced everything together. "Aitken is."  
  
"I know. What I don't know is why he's doing this." She reached up to her left ear, and tugged at the ruby earring she was wearing. It came out easily. Weiss rubbed his eyes tiredly.  
  
"When did you get here, Agent Weiss?"  
  
"Call me Eric. I arrived ten minutes ago."  
  
Vaughn noticed the worry lines around his friends eyes. "You don't look like you've slept in a few days. Want me to set up your room?"  
  
"I'll do it, it's no problem." Sydney disappeared from the room, leaving Vaughn watching as his friend reached down and pulled open a briefcase sitting on a chair behind him. He pulled out two manila folders, and handed them to Vaughn.  
  
"This is all the information we could pull up on Aitken. There isn't very much there that would point to him being the mole, but there were reports a few months ago of him going a little wacko in the office downstairs. Psychiatric reports were filed, and he was placed under surveillance. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary, until he disappeared over a month ago. No-one knew where he went, but when we finally found out that the dead accountant from the office had been in contact with him, we put two and two together. Aitken killed that other guy we thought was the mole. We think he found out something he shouldn't have, and Aitken had to get rid of him. This guy's a serious piece of work, Mike. We have no idea why he would threaten Sydney's cover. He's nothing to do with SD-6. There's no way he could have found out about it, unless he was working for them already."  
  
Eric finally took a breath, and looked up to find Sydney standing in the doorway. "So we have an ID, and a location."  
  
"Location?" Weiss looked up, confusion and tiredness. He still clutched his yo-yo. "You know where he is?"  
  
"We just had dinner with him." Vaughn stated calmly, and rubbed his forehead roughly. "We were in his house with his family, and his friends. And Marie."  
  
"Marie?" Weiss' eyes widened. "As in the Marie you were head over heels for? The same Marie that burned you out?"  
  
"Yeah, that one." He sighed loudly, and looked at his friend again. "We've got to do something. They obviously know who we are, and why we're here."  
  
"We're going to have to play dumb. They think we don't have a clue what's going on. We're just going to have to keep playing their game until we can get some more information, and see what's behind the threat." Sydney seemed to bring everyone back to reality. Weiss nodded.  
  
"We shouldn't get in touch with the Agency just yet. He'll have a source back there, too. No-one knows I'm here except Devlin, and he doesn't even know where I am. We're going to have to do this one by ourselves." Eric yawned. "I don't think we're in any danger just yet, as long as we stay playing dumb. I'll keep out of sight."  
  
Sydney was still thinking about dinner. "So he must have people working for him all over the place, then."  
  
"Basically, yes. He's got at least one accomplice we know of. Goes by the name Brad White."  
  
"Could be the Bradley that was sleazing over you." Vaughn didn't bother to look up at Sydney, but she knew there was a sparkle of jealousy in his voice. Even Eric sensed it.  
  
"Not a fan, then?"  
  
"Not then, and especially not now." He sat back, and handed the files to Sydney, who read through them quickly. The three sat in silence for a few moments, processing all that had just happened.  
  
"You're room's all set up, Agent We."  
  
"Call me Eric, since we're going to be living together for a little while."  
  
"Eric." She smiled, and nodded to him as he got up, and headed out the door.  
  
"We can talk properly in the morning. G'Night."  
  
"Eric." Vaughn shouted to him. He popped his head in the doorway again. "Why don't you just tie the string of your yo-yo back together?"  
  
"You don't get a smooth movement then. It's ok, though. I've got a spare." He disappeared out the door, and into the back room.  
  
If Vaughn wasn't in such a heavy mood, he would've laughed at his friend. Sydney yawned from the doorway, and walked over to Vaughn. He shifted over in the sofa, to give Sydney a seat. The rest of the living room had been taken over by the masses of equipment Eric had shipped over to the cabin. Sydney sat down next to him, her shoulder touching his.  
  
"I'm really sorry about all of this." Vaughn wanted to apologise, to make Sydney understand that he didn't want any of this to happen. "I didn't know."  
  
"This is nothing to do with you. Aitken is just wanting some attention, I'm sure. We'll sort it out in the morning, and get a plan together." Sydney closed her eyes, and yawned again. Vaughn put his arm around her, and pulled her close. She snuggled her head under his chin, and inhaled the scent of his aftershave. She could feel the bowtie he was wearing softly on her cheek.  
  
"Vaughn." She pulled away from him, alarm lighting her face. "Take off your tuxedo. Now!"  
  
He looked at her strangely, then down at his tuxedo. Could she be this forward? It suddenly dawned on him. "Oh." He stood up, and pulled his jacket off, as Sydney undone the buttons on his shirt. He was half way through undressing, when a familiar voice piped up from the hall.  
  
"Uh.. disturbing anything, am I?"  
  
"No, we're just getting rid of the tuxedo." Vaughn offered some way of explanation, but it fell on deaf ears as Eric winked at his friend, and disappeared again.  
  
He pulled off the shirt, just as Sydney stood back. She quickly turned her back to him, and cleared her throat to stop the high pitched 'eep' from escaping. Suddenly, her face was getting hot again.  
  
"I'm going to bed." She couldn't turn round to face him, for fear that she would betray herself and do something she knew she wouldn't' regret. Vaughn was too busy checking each item of clothing for bugs to notice Sydney slowly turn around, and face him again. The colour of her cheeks was intensifying as she witnessed him standing two feet away wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers. She could barely contain herself, as he looked up at her.  
  
"No bugs, as far as I can tell."  
  
Sydney didn't manage to hear what he said, as the sound of blood rushing to her ears was enough to drown all background noise out. She couldn't take her eyes of him, as he reached down to pick up the belt he had dropped onto the floor. She had to think of something else. Eric Weiss was in the back room.  
  
She had to think of anything else, apart from her half naked handler standing in front of her, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers, and. a black bow tie. There were no words she could trust to form properly, so she just reached over, and tugged on the bow tie, pulling it free from around his neck.  
  
"You forgot about the bow tie."  
  
"No I didn't." He gave her a cheeky grin, and looked down at his feet, suddenly giving the impression he was now shy. "I always wanted to be a chippendale."  
  
****  
  
Chapter 14 - before the end of September. Look out for some action sequences for a change! 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

****

{Things have been very hectic for the last few months, and I really apologise for not updating. This chapter is very different from any other I've written. Please let me know what you think.

Thankyou very much to everyone who has reviewed this story so far, and to everyone who has contacted me over it. I'm blown away by the reaction to this story, and I hope that you will enjoy this latest chapter. Again, I apologise for taking so long in updating. Things have been very busy.

Please PLEASE review, or even just say 'hey!' because I love to hear from people who have read my work. It makes my day to read an email, or a post where people are saying they've read my stuff. Anyway, on to the weird new chapter. Hope you like it. It's very different.}

****

[CHAPTER FOURTEEN]

****

"So what are you saying, Michael?" Sydney raised an eyebrow suggestively. "You like to dance naked in front of strange women?"

Vaughn's eyes flashed mischievously. "Only at the weekends." 

Swinging the loose bowtie around her finger, Sydney grinned. "It's Saturday…" she stepped towards him slowly, "… and you barely know me."

"That's true." Matching her flirtatious tone, he slid towards her. He whispered to her, lips gently brushing the tip of her ear. "You're a stranger to me. I've suddenly forgotten everything I ever knew about you…" they were inches apart now, the bow tie in Sydney's hand being the only thing to separate the two. "…why don't you help me remember who you are?"

The bow tie suddenly found itself on the floor, as Vaughn pulled her aggressively to him, eyes ablaze with hunger for the forbidden. He locked eyes with his paramour, declaring his love through the passion burning in his glittering emerald eyes. Sydney couldn't tear herself from him gaze.

"You know who I am…" she whispered hoarsely. The feel of his arms around her felt like a thousand hot needles, shooting through her body. She didn't want it to stop. Her hands slid over his arms slowly, feeling the exposed muscle under her fingertips. Never before had she felt so warm and safe within someone else's arms. As if sensing her thoughts, he tightened his embrace, his lips pressing softly against her forehead. She closed her eyes, lost in his intoxicating scent and the giddy sensation of being in his passionate embrace. "You know who I am…" she repeated, looking up at him tenderly. "…I'm yours." she breathed softly, before reaching up to touch his lips softly with her own.

****

The metal spoon made a loud clatter against the bowl, as Sydney lost her grip. The image of Vaughn's lips on hers caught her by surprise. Eric Weiss looked at her from across the dining table, an amused smile on his face. Daydreaming wasn't a good idea, especially if the object's friend was sitting across the table from you.

"Someone's distracted today." Eric remarked, hiding a smirk behind the coffee mug. Sydney looked down at her cheerios, feeling a flush creeping up her neck. The situation hadn't quite played out the way she had hoped it would. Her face turned a deeper shade of red, as she recalled the events of the night before. 

****

"I always wanted to be a Chippendale", he had told her. The immediate mental picture was Michael Vaughn parading around the room, dancing to 'you can leave your hat on' with a bundle of ones sticking out the elastic of his boxer shorts. It took all her self-control not to giggle. She just grinned, and handed him back the bowtie. 

"Every Chippendale needs his bowtie."

****

Sydney cringed into her cheerios. She had known from the moment those words were vocalized, the night would simply get worse. It must have been the fact that Michael Vaughn was standing in his boxer shorts, professing to her that he secretly wanted to be a stripper, but all coherent thought had jumped out the window, along with her ability to speak properly.

She looked up again, as Vaughn pulled a chair out from the table, and sat on it gingerly. He was fully clothed. At least Sydney would be able to form actual sentences at the breakfast table. 

Vaughn turned to Eric, who was trying to refrain from lifting the last donut from the centre of the table. The concentration and resolve was etched in his face, sweat beads sliding from his forehead. He thought better of breaking his friends focus, and turned in Sydney's direction. Her face was bright red. He could feel his own face light up in sympathy. The night before had turned out to be one of the most embarrassing nights of his life. 

****

A Chippendale?!? What was he thinking?!?? He was standing in front of Sydney, in nothing but black boxers and a cheeky grin, telling her he wanted to dance around naked! He could wave goodbye to the smooth chat-up line he'd been working on, along with his dignity.

At least she had played along, handing him back the bowtie. If only it was big enough for him to hide behind. Instead, he grinned at her, the cheeky grin he couldn't seem to keep off his face, and reached for the shawl draped over their sofa. Sydney had backed away from him, giving him more room to cover up. He had cursed himself for not just grabbing her then. In retrospect, it would have been a lot less embarrassing, even if she did turn him down. 

"It's cold in here." He had wrapped the shawl around him tightly, and looked around. The fire was out.

"Well, we're on the top of a mountain, and you *are* standing around in your boxers, Vaughn." Sydney had pointed to the black material hanging down past the shawl. 

"I'll light the fire."

****

Sydney had pushed the bowl of cheerios away, standing up. She had to go throw some water on her face, before it ignited. 

"Are you ok?" Vaughn asked, a concerned look mixing with the bright red colour of embarrassment on his face.

"Yeah, yeah." She nodded excessively, as if nodding would stop the flush from reaching her cheeks. Sliding her hair behind her ear, she lifted the bowl, and placed it on the kitchen counter. "I'm just going to take a shower." With that, she disappeared from the room, leaving Eric and Vaughn alone. 

"Well?" Eric grinned smugly at his friend over the coffee mug he was holding tightly. 

"Well what?" Vaughn looked at his best friend, eyebrow raised.

"I'm not being funny, Mike, but you two made a hell of a noise last night."

Vaughn's jaw dropped. "And you think…?" He was silent, unable to finish the sentence. Instead, he gave a low snort of irritation, and reached for the last donut. Eric's face fell.

"Hey…"

"Oh, I'm sorry…" he replied, face a picture of innocence. "Did you want this?" with a smirk, he bit into it, pink jelly escaping, and running down the side of his face. Eric chuckled, and sat back in the chair.

"So tell me, Mike. What exactly *did* happen last night? You two were making a lot of noise." 

"It's not what you think." He exclaimed, rubbing away the jelly stuck to his face. 

"Uhu… so the reason your hand is bandaged up, isn't because Sydney likes to play rough?" Eric inclined his head towards the generously bandaged arm that Vaughn was trying to hide under the kitchen table.

"Nothing happened last night, Eric." He sat the donut down, and scratched his chin. "They're just scratch marks."

Eric's eyebrow rippled with curiosity. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He spotted his friends wicked grin, and shook his head. "No!" His mouth opened in shock. "Not like that! Eric!"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, buddy." Winking, Eric stood from the table, and pinched the half eaten donut from Vaughn's plate. "Whatever happened last night, you two are definitely getting all hot and bothered over it anyway." He walked out the room, shouting to Sydney. "Sydney? We're going to get set up in the back room, ok?"

"Ok!" her muffled reply came from behind the bathroom door. 

Vaughn rubbed his bandaged arm, rolling his eyes. Typical Eric Weiss.

****

"There's no wood left for the fire, Vaughn." Sydney had pointed to the non-existent pile of wood in the corner. There were only stray pieces of wood, no bigger than a match. 

"Ok, I'll go get some more." He had moved to go outside, but Sydney cleared her throat, gesturing to his attire. 

"I don't think you're in the right costume for chopping wood, Vaughn." She had walked past him, grinning as he looked down, and pulled the shawl around him tighter. "I'll go get the wood."

She then disappeared from the room, leaving Vaughn standing alone with the shawl wrapped around him, bare legs sticking out the bottom. He was shivering slightly from the cold, so decided to go find some pants. Before he could open his bedroom door, the sound of Sydney screaming denied him the right to put on pants.

****

He should have just went into the room, and put on his pants. Then it wouldn't have been as bad. Walking from the kitchen, he heard Eric pottering about in the back bedroom. "Hey, Eric? Did you bring the laptop?"

"Never go anywhere without it!" He poked his head round the door, grinning at Vaughn. "Is Sydney ready? We gotta get this show on the road."

"Yeah" she had just stepped out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped around her, and wet hair stuck to her head. "Sorry, Vaughn. I borrowed your towel." 

"uhu…" he couldn't take his eyes off her, mouth open, as she brushed past him into her bedroom. He could barely nod. Eric rolled his eyes, and disappeared behind the door again. "…no problem." 

Sydney closed the door behind her, grinning from ear to ear. It was pretty obvious that he was checking her out as she walked past. Shame she'd acted like such a fool the night before. 

****

"I'll go get the wood." If she'd known that those would be the last coherent words she'd utter, she'd have made them a little more poignant. Stepping outside wasn't the problem, it was the large shadow that faced her as she sauntered down the steps to the wood shed. 

She hadn't been expecting it. If she had, she wouldn't have screamed so loudly. She wouldn't have jumped to the side either. But she did, and because of it, the shadow had blocked her path to the house.

****

She dressed quickly, knowing that time was of the essence. They were going to insert surveillance into Thomas Aitkens house, and they had to do it quickly. Within two minutes, she was ready.

"Ok, here's your earpiece, Sydney." Eric handed her the small device, which she inserted into her right ear. They tested the sound, and scrambled the signal. "You're going to be entering through the middle lower level window on the left side of the house. The house is alarmed, but we can override it from here. When you get the signal, enter through there, and follow the corridor through to the master bedroom." Eric pointed to the blueprints, showing the outline of the Aitkens house. Thanks to the CIA database, it was easy to get his hands on everything to do with Aitken – except his motive. 

"Ok. Are we ready to move?" Vaughn packed the last of the equipment into Sydney's backpack, and handed it to her. 

"Yeah." Sydney nodded, and strapped on the pack. 

"Good luck."

"Thanks." She smiled at him, hoping he hadn't judged her ability as an Agent after that night. She left the room, switching on the ear piece. They had decided to go with the plan during the day – it was less obvious. She moved silently up the road, knowing there was a while to go before she would reach the target. Her thoughts wandered again to the night before.

****

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

She had screamed, a loud ear-splitting shriek. She could actually see the large shadow flinch in pain from it. Backing up, she searched blindly behind her for the axe normally sitting beside the shed. She couldn't find it. 

****

"We're going to disable the alarms in ten seconds, Syd. Maintain radio silence until completion." Vaughn spoke to her quietly through the headset he was wearing. Both Eric and himself were wearing the black microphones. Vaughn paced behind him, waiting for the green light. He could hear Sydney's affirmative reply, and nodded to Eric. With one touch of a button, the alarms were silenced.

"Green light."

He waited patiently, as the connection went dead. He could only wait.

****

He had dashed from the bedroom door, through the short hallway, and out into the dark of the night. He could hear the scuffle of feet, and turned in that direction.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The scream that escaped from his throat was a high pitched, womanly squawk. The fright that accompanied his encounter, led him to jump towards Sydney, who had her back to the wood shed, eyes wide. 

"Vaughn!" she whispered, don't move!

****

He had screamed like a girl. He had only screamed once before, and that was on his fifth birthday, when his parents bought him the latest toy for his Christmas. The shadow, sadly, wasn't the big red fire engine he'd asked for in his letter to Santa.

****

They were both pinned against the wood shed, the shadow creeping slowly towards them. Vaughn had dropped his shawl in the haste to scream like a girl, and jump out the way. Standing in his boxers, shivering more from the fright than the surrounding snow, he whispered to Sydney. "Syd? Is that…"

"Yeah." She whispered back. "ssh."

She finally felt the cold steel of the axe between her fingers, and slowly pulled it up from it's resting place behind her. Vaughn was oblivious, shaking uncontrollably. 

She couldn't take her eyes from the advancing figure, but felt his shaking. He was pressed closely to the wood shed, and his shaking was causing snow to fall from the roof.

"Syd… I…"

"ssh."

"but…"

"ssh!"

Sydney pulled the axe quickly from her back, and swung towards the approaching figure. It moved backwards a little, giving them just enough room to make a run for the cabin. Sydney moved first, pulling Vaughn behind her. 

****

Sydney was rapidly setting up small tapping devices on each phone in the house. She moved quickly, on light feet. The house was empty, as Marie had confessed to Sydney the day before that she was dragging Tom with her to the early morning church service. 

In the cabin, a few miles away, Vaughn looked down at Eric, who was counting down the minutes till the alarm would be reactivated. Before he could say anything, the laptop sprung to life. A large black box appeared in the centre of the programme he was running, bold red letters stating 'signal intercepted'. He looked up at Vaughn, surprise in his eyes.

"Sydney?" He broke the silence. "Sydney, red light." There was no reply. Vaughn looked at Eric, uneasiness creeping into the room with them.

"I'm on my way back to the window."  
  
"You don't have enough time, Syd. Get out of there now."

"I'm nearly..." 

The radio went silent.

****

"Vaughn! Come ON!" She had reached the house and turned to see him lagging behind. She could see the large shadow turn, and make tracks towards the struggling Vaughn. He was barefooted, and the snow was slippery. Running precariously across the snow, he slid, and met the ground with a thud. The shadow was almost upon him, as he scrambled to right himself, and run again. The slash of skin was heard clearly from where Sydney had been standing. 

Vaughn gave a small howl of pain, as he cradled his arm, and ran up the stairs to Sydney, who was waiting to close the door behind them. She closed it with a loud 'bang', just in time to see the shadow reach the steps. 

"that was…" he was still shaking, and holding his arm. "… that was…"  
  
"a grizzly bear." Nodding, she led him into the bathroom, and wrapped a towel around his arm to stem the flow of blood. "stay here. I'll go get a bandage." She knew the bear was still lurking around outside, but they were safe enough if they didn't open the door. She walked into the kitchen, and pulled a new bandage from the first aid kit beside the cookie jar. From the back room, she could hear the contented snore of Eric Weiss, sleeping oblivious to the bear outside.

Reaching the bathroom door, she chapped it lightly. Vaughn had his back to her, and was assessing the damage done to his arm. Her eyes widened, as she took in the view. 

His black boxer shorts had been torn at the back, leaving her with a wide view of his naked rear. She dropped the bandage on the floor. 

She couldn't move. 

"I've always been frightened of…" Vaughn turned around to face Sydney, and witnessed her eyes wide, jaw at an overly wide angle. He stopped mid sentence. "Syd?" 

"huh?" she continued to stare at the space where his rear had been positioned, unable to move her eyes. Vaughn walked towards her, arm beginning to bleed onto the carpet.

"you ok?" he kneeled down, and picked up the bandage. "Bears are really scary." 

"…"

"I've always been frightened of them. Sorry if I screamed like a girl…"

"…"

"can you help me put this on?" he turned back to the mirror, back to Sydney again. She made a small squeak, and cleared her throat. "I think it's just a scratch, but I'd better get it covered up anyway." She tried to put out the burning imprint of his rear, ablaze in her head, and stepped into the bathroom. 

"Ok." Unwrapping the towel from his arm, she tried to stop the blood from dripping on the floor. Vaughn stood obediently, as she unwound the bandage.

"It's kinda draughty in here, isn't it?"

She couldn't take any more. Scurrying from the bathroom, she went straight into her bedroom, closed the door, shoved her face in a pillow, and burst out laughing. She could hear Vaughn approach her door, and mumble to himself "I didn't think it was that girlish a scream…".

****

"Sydney?" 

There was no answer. Vaughn tried again.

  
"Sydney are you there? Answer me!"

Eric shook his head. "Mike, looks like we've got company." He pointed to the window of the bedroom, where a black masked intruder was pointing a large gun in their direction.

"Sydney?" he whispered into the headset. "Sydney?"

{review, please! I know, I know. The Grizzly Bear thing was crap. Let me know what you think anyway!) 


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